We Will...never learn

Pedro Promoted, and Other News

2009-06-22T19:49:00.002-04:00

I've been out of town, visiting family and friends being a part of a wedding (which was beautiful), so I haven't had the chance to update much. A fair amount has been going on the past week or so however.

Pedro Alvarez was just promoted to AA Altoona after putting up some decent numbers in High A (see sidebar). His strike out total was high, as was his error total, but hopefully those were just a product of the poorer fields and worse pitching down in the low minors. I'm very excited to see how he performs at this next level. I'm guessing Alvarez will remain in Altoona the rest of this season and begin 2010 in AAA.

Also, 2006 first rounder Brad Lincoln was promoted to AAA Indianapolis. He has been pitching very well for Altoona, with a 2.28 ERA in 75 innings. It's very exciting seeing 2 of our top prospects performing well and moving up a level. Don't expect Lincoln to reach Pittsburgh this year, but he may be competing for a starting rotation spot next Spring.

In other transaction news, Craig Monroe was designated for assignment and Steve Pearce was recalled. Part of Monroe's DFA was accredited to his lack of hustle on a play in Minnesota last week, but really, does that matter too much? Monroe had no future in Pittsburgh and Pearce might. So I'm glad to see this change. With Adam LaRoche likely to be traded in 5 weeks or so, Pearce will be the logical replacement, at least in the short term.

What else? A rough road trip through Minnesota and Colorado. And that sweep in Denver was especially painful against Jim Tracy. But on the plus side, Andrew McCutchen is all kinds of awesome.

2009 Draft is Complete

2009-06-11T18:14:00.002-04:00

After 51 selections, the Pirates have completed their participation in the 2009 first year player draft. Here's the MLB site's draft tracker, which lists all the Bucs' picks.

Of course, much has already been said about their first pick, fourth overall, catcher Tony Sanchez from Boston College. Most of what has been said is criticism, or at least it was at the end of Tuesday's portion of the draft. One complaint that amused me was that the Pirates essentially drafted Yadier Molina in the first round. Granted, Molina is no superstar, but I will be very pleased if Sanchez turns out as good as Molina.

Anyway, here's a little theory on the first round talent (Note: I am far from an expert on amateur baseball, so bear with me here): So after Strasburg and Ackley, there didn't seem to be much of a consensus on the next best player. Perhaps the drop off in talent was pretty substantial. So maybe the Pirates though they could sign a Yadier Molina type catcher at a nice price, rather than any number of pitchers who fit into the Joe Blanton or Randy Wolf mold, someone with decent/average big league starter potential. But these Blanton-Wolf types are asking for twice what the Molina type is. And knowing that there are a number of more intriguing high school pitchers with college plans that will be available later in the draft, why not take the Molina type now? Now I know some of the pitchers selected shortly after Sanchez are actually pretty highly regarded, with more potential than this Blanton-Wolf hybrid I created. Okay, my point is that even if Sanchez was a reach, based on projections, the difference in talent between him and players like Aaron Crow and Tyler Matzek might not be that great. So judging the first round on its own (which is a little foolish, especially mere days after the fact), and disregarding Neal Huntington's strategy, I don't think this pick is all that bad. It's not great, but not nearly as bad as the Wieters/Moskos debacle.

One of the reasons the Pirates did pick Sanchez was signability, which doesn't necessarily mean that the Bucs were going cheap. Judging by their selections later in the draft, primarily early on day 2, the Pirates will certainly be needing to sign some large checks to lure these high school players away from their beckoning college scholarships. If the Pirates end up spending $8 or 9 million on signing bonuses this year, they really can't be called thrifty, since they spent in that neighborhood last year, much to the delight of Pirate fans everywhere. So if the Bucs end up signing 4 or 5 of these high-ceiling high schoolers, to go along with Sanchez, and a couple dozen others right around slot, then I would have to call this a pretty successful draft.

So let's reserve judgment until August 17 (signing deadline) on this draft. And also, let's keep in mind that we won't really know if this draft was a success for a few years.

Also, today the Bucs defeated Atlanta 3-1, to force a split in their 4 game series. Paul Maholm and Javier Vazquez had themselves a nice pitcher's duel, striking out 20 batters between them. However, Andy LaRoche singled in 2 runs in the 9th off reliever Rafael Soriano to give the Bucs their second consecutive win.

Up next, some interleague play, as the Tigers come to town. And, fortunately, Justin Verlander will not be pitching in the series.

A Busy Night for the Pirates

2009-06-10T00:46:00.002-04:00

The 2009 Draft began tonight, and the Pirates selected Boston College catcher Tony Sanchez with the 4th overall pick. Though Sanchez was probably the top rated catcher, selecting him at the 4th spot was considered a reach by many. And of course the more cynical Pirate fans are already calling Neal Huntington and Co. cheap. Though it seems the Pirates are taking the approach that they'd rather spread their money out over the entire draft than dedicate a substantial chunk to one pick. I don't really know enough about college baseball to know if Sanchez is worth this spot or not. I'm willing to give the team the benefit of the doubt for now.

With their second pick, the compensatory one for not signing Tanner Scheppers last year, the Bucs selected RHP Victor Black from Dallas Baptist University. Black was rated the 16th best righthander by Baseball America.

In the second round, the Pirates picked RHP Brooks Pounders, from Temecula Valley High. Though he wasn't highly rated, Pounders does sound intriguing. Also, he has a scholarship to USC, so this might be a case where the Pirates will have pay over slot to get Pounders signed.

In the third, the Bucs picked CF Evan Chambers, from Hillsborough Community College in Florida. Baseball America projected him as a 5th or 6th rounder, so this could be a reach.

With 47 picks to go over the next 2 days, we have a long way to go before we can properly evaluate the Pirates' 2009 draft.

Morton Debuts: Charlie Morton, acquired last week in the McLouth trade, makes his Pirate debut tomorrow, getting the start against the Braves. To make room for him, Tom Gorzelanny was optioned to AAA and Jeff Karstens will head to the bullpen, where he belongs. I'm very excited about this. Though Morton struggled last year with Atlanta, I'm hopeful that he can carry over his minor league success and become a solid member of the rotation.

Speaking of the McLouth trade, Jeffrey Locke, also acquired in said trade, made his debut tonight for Single-A Lynchburg. In 4 innings, he allowed 5 hits, 2 runs and 3 walks with 4 strike outs. Nothing too impressive, but it's nice to see another quality arm in the system.

In Big League action tonight, the bullpen failed to hold the lead for Ross Ohlendorf, as the Pirates fell to Atlanta, 4-3. Ohlendorf pitched fairly well, lasting into the 7th, before Sean Burnett and Jesse Chavez allowed the Braves to score 2 runs and take the lead. Robinzon Diaz, making his first start at catcher in a very long time, doubled home 2 runs for the Bucs.

2009 Season, So Far

2009-06-08T15:23:00.002-04:00

Here we are, just over a third of the way through the 2009 season. The Pirates currently sit at 26-30, in fifth place, just a half game ahead of Houston. I want to take this time to mention some aspects of the season so far that stand out to me.

Nate McLouth: How could this not be the first topic? Though I fully support this trade, at least the idea of it, it still was quite unexpected. In fact, it still seems odd that McLouth is gone. However, with the Bucs very unlikely to contend this year, and possibly next year too, trading a player at his peak value makes tremendous sense. McLouth is a very solid hitter and a hard-nosed player, but it's not like the Cardinals trading Pujols, or even the Padres trading Adrian Gonzalez. McLouth is definitely in a much lower tier than those sort of players. And with Andrew McCutchen now up, it really softens the blow.

The Improved Defense: By any measure, the Pirates' defense in 2009 is vastly superior to the 2008 version. Much of this has to do with the outfield, with Nyjer Morgan replacing Jason Bay and Brandon Moss, among others, replacing Xavier Nady. Andy LaRoche, at third, is also an upgrade over Jose Bautista. There's a great piece over at Buc's Dugout analyzing this. And now with McCutchen taking over for McLouth, an even greater improvement should transpire. As the Buc's Dugout piece mentions, the defense has played a large role in the Pirates' pitching staff's turnaround. Though, replacing the likes of Matt Morris and JVB with Ross Ohlendorf and Jeff Karstens has a lot to do with that as well.

With the McLouth trade, and the unusual positioning of Morgan in left field, it appears that the Pirates' brass is placing a premium on defense, as they rebuild the team. If the newer defensive statistics can be trusted, and I think they can, then a cost-conscious team like the Pirates can become more competitive by focusing on defense, which is much less costly, as much as offense in order to help them outscore their opponents. It's this kind of progressive thinking that gives me confidence in Huntington and company.

The Minor Leagues: After the Pirates' most aggressive draft in recent memory, and the acquisition of some intriguing players in last year's trades, much more attention is being paid to the team's minor league affiliates. The results, so far, have been mixed, but the fact that there is some legitimate talent around is certainly exciting.

Pedro Alvarez, last year's #1 pick, is doing alright at High-A Lynchburg. Though he has hit 10 home runs and driven in 42 runs through 54 games, his 57 strike outs stand out, as do his 11 errors at third. However, since the pitchers at that level do not possess the control that they do at higher levels, and the fields in the minors can be a little questionable, those two statistics should not be of major concern. I still expect Alvarez to be called up to AA-Altoona by the end of July.

Some other high profile picks from last year are performing fairly well this year. Jordy Mercer, Chase D'Arnaud, Robbie Grossman and Calvin Anderson are all doing okay.

Two high profile acquisitions from last year, outfielder Jose Tabata and pitcher Bryan Morris, have spent much of the season out of commission with injuries. Tabata has been out since very early in the season with a hamstring injury and Morris made his season debut just last night. Both are highly regarded and were possibly the key components of the two trades last summer.

Brad Lincoln, the Pirates' first round pick from 2006, has been pitching tremendously for AA-Altoona this year. In 11 starts, covering 64 2/3 innings, he has an ERA of 1.95 and a WHIP of 1.01. Lincoln has walked 15, struck out 60 and held opponents to a batting average of .215. This is especially encouraging after Lincoln has missed so much time to injury already in his young career. And the Post Gazette reported yesterday that Lincoln will be promoted to AAA-Indianapolis very soon.

The Future: The 2009 amateur draft begins tomorrow, and the Pirates have the 4th selection. I really don't follow college, or high school, baseball so I have no insight to offer on the talent available. This year's draft class is supposed to be fairly weak, at least compared to last year's. I still expect the team to draft aggressively and probably pay over slot for some later picks. However, the more intriguing signing this summer could be that of Dominican teenager Miguel Angel Sano. The 16 year old is widely regarded as the best international prospect this year and the Pirates seem to have the inside track. Sano is expected to cost $4 million to sign. While that is clearly a risky investment for a 16 year old, a move like this is crucial for the Bucs. Acquiring the top player in the DR will put the Pirates on the map down there, thus making them more recognizable to top prospects in years to come. With this year's amateur draft likely taking less money than last year's, and with the little bit of money saved in the McLouth deal, the Pirates have no excuse, at least financially, not to make this happen.

I fully expect more trades to happen before the season is over, most likely involving John Grabow and Adam Laroche. With the continued improvements of relievers Sean Burnett, Jesse Chavez and Evan Meek, the loss of Grabow would not be felt too much. And with Steve Pearce the most likely candidate to replace LaRoche should he be traded, I feel at least some offense will be provided. At the very least, in that scenario, we'll get to see just what Pearce can do. However, with the unexpected sell-high trade of McLouth, other players, such as Freddy Sanchez, Zach Duke and Matt Capps, could be moved as well, provided an attractive return is offered.

Though it is somewhat sad to see beloved players shipped out of town, and I'm guilty of becoming emotionally attached to players, Huntington and company have done nothing so far during their reign to make me explicitly doubt their intentions. When, not if, these next trades happen, it will kind of suck, in the short term at least, but it will only make the organization stronger. That's important to keep in mind. I don't want the Pirates to be built to be contenders in 2010, or 2011. I want them to be contenders every year. And that will mean that the team will always be trying to improve, which will mean that there will always be unpopular trades. It sucks, but that's how our team works.

Charlie Morton's Debut

2009-06-04T23:24:00.003-04:00

Up the road in Indianapolis tonight, Charlie Morton has made his first start for the Indians. I had no clue he was scheduled to pitch so soon after yesterday's trade for Nate McLouth. Well, Mr. Morton, as he will now be known, pitched 7 scoreless innings in the game. He allowed 2 singles, 2 doubles and 1 walk, while striking out 7. The game in still in progress (0-0 in the 8th) as I type this. Mr. Morton's performance tonight should be no surprise as he has been pitching quite well at the AAA level this year: before tonight, 2.52 ERA in 64 2/3 innings, with 16 walks and 55 strike outs. Mr. Morton also dominated AAA last year, but struggled horribly in the majors. I'm sure he'll be pitching for Pittsburgh before too long, and hopefully the extra AAA experience this year has helped make him into a pitcher more capable of success in the bigs. I get the feeling that if Ian Snell doesn't show marked improvement over his next start or two, he could be switching places with Mr. Morton. We shall see.

Nate Who?

2009-06-04T18:53:00.002-04:00

Okay, not really. But I am incredibly impressed with Andrew McCutchen's major league debut today. Granted, it's just one game, but the Holy One was fantastic today. McCutchen singled and scored in his first plate appearance, walked and scored in his second, flied out in his third, grounded out in his fourth, and singled home a run, stole a base and scored again in his fifth. And the Pirates won 11-6, sweeping the Mets in this truncated three game series, much to the chagrin of Carlos Beltran.

As for Nate McLouth, my initial reaction to the trade was shock, followed by disappointment. Looking at the trade as impartially as I can, I do think the Pirates did okay. Of course, there's no guarantee that any of the three players acquired will ever have meaningful major league careers, but based on potential, and McLouth's value, it could turn out to be a very good deal. And just because McLouth was the best Pirate does not mean that he's a great player in the grand scheme of things. He was "Pirate great", not "Good Team great." He's a good ball player and I hope he thrives in Atlanta. It still stings a little though.

One reason there's a special place in my heart for McLouth, and Freddy Sanchez for that matter, is that he represents a bit of an Eff You to Jim Tracy and his horrid managerial tenure in Pittsburgh. McLouth and Sanchez were both deemed, at least initially in Freddy's case, as bench players by Tracy. And they both went on to prove him wrong, which makes me happy.

As for McCutchen, he can be as good or better than McLouth in almost every way, though that might not end up completely showing this season. But comparing the 2009 club before and after the trade, the Pirates are not necessarily worse off. Of course, and outfield comprised of McCutchen and McLouth (and Moss) would look quite a bit better than one with McCutchen and Morgan (and Moss). Though what would Nyjer Morgan have brought in a trade? A hell of a lot less than McLouth, for sure.

Pirates Trade McLouth!!!!!!!!!

2009-06-03T20:00:00.003-04:00

Wow! I did not see this coming. I am seriously at a loss for words. Here's ESPN's summary of the deal.

I can't even process this deal right now. I know Charlie Morton is supposed to be a pretty solid pitcher and Gorkys Hernandez looks like a speedy singles hitter. Morton has been pitching in AAA this year and Hernandez has been in AA. The other player acquired, pitcher Jeffrey Locke, I know nothing about. Looking at his stats it seems like he's a pretty good strike out pitcher, currently in High A.

The other news here is that Andrew McCutchen is being called up. I expected the day Cutch gets the call would be a happier day. I guess not.

Johan Is No Match For The Bucs

2009-06-02T22:47:00.002-04:00

How strange does that sound? Well, tonight it happened. After Johan Santana retired the first 10 batters, 9 of the 15 hitters he faced the rest of the way reached base as the Pirates overcame a one run deficit to win 3 to 1. Zach Duke pitched very well once again, scattering 8 singles over 7 innings.

Another aspect of this game that I found particularly interesting was the lineup John Russell employed. Against probably the best left-handed pitcher in the game, Russell used what could best be described as his standard lineup when facing a righty. And if you had to set a Pirates' lineup based on the best overall talent, it would be this lineup. What's unusual is that Russell generally plays the lefty-righty matchups religiously. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of playing these matchups so much. And it's especially important in regards to someone like Brandon Moss, who has been protected from left handed starters in recent weeks, despite the fact that he's been hitting much better since a rough start to the season. If Moss is going to be a key component of this team, now and in the future, he has to learn to hit lefties. Tonight was a step in the right direction.

Pirates Rally To Top Mets

2009-06-01T23:27:00.002-04:00

The Pirates overcame a five run deficit to win the opener of this 4 game series against the Mets tonight. Down 5-0 early, the Bucs picked up 3 in the fourth to keep the game close. After some nice work by the bullpen, the Pirates entered the 8th still down 5-3. Three Mets' pitchers and ten Pirates' batters later, the Bucs led 8-5. Most of the damage was done against JJ Putz, who allowed 4 singles and an intentional walk without recording an out. Great resiliency and clutch hitting by the Pirates tonight. This was certainly a feel good win, which was much needed coming off three straight lost series. It's Zach Duke against Johan Santana tomorrow.

I do have to mention tonight's starter. Ian Snell struggled yet again, allowing 5 runs and 6 hits in 6 innings. Snell walked 5 and struck out just two. He did retire 10 of the last 12 batters he faced, after the Mets had already scored 5 runs through 3 innings. Many fans are calling for Snell to be optioned to AAA, or traded, or released, or worse. Granted, Snell has not pitched well, overall, this year or last year. But he should not be released, obviously. And trading him now, when his value is minuscule, would be foolish. A stint in the minor leagues might be the answer. Or maybe he can work it out with Joe Kerrigan where he is now. But Snell is still just 28 years old, and he has very good stuff and a competitive spirit, though sometimes in a misguided manner. The Pirates should exhaust all possibilities with Snell before they even think about moving him. There is not nearly enough pitching talent in the system to cast someone off so easily. I'm still a fan of Ian Snell. I've been following him for quite some time (since the Oquendo days) and I really want him to succeed. It just may take some time though.

Doumit on the Mend

2009-05-29T11:15:00.002-04:00

Cather Ryan Doumit is making great progress in his recovery from a fractured right wrist. Here's the Post-Gazette piece. So, he'll start throwing this weekend and then gradually resume other baseball activities. He is currently on schedule to return to the Pirates in mid June, about 2 weeks ahead of schedule from when the initial diagnosis was made. This is, of course, great news for the Bucs. Though Jason Jaramillo and Robinzon Diaz filled in nicely, it will be nice to have the menacing Doumit back in the middle of the lineup.

Speaking of Jaramillo and Diaz, it's been very refreshing to see that the Pirates have 2 capable backup catchers available. Both of these two rookies played quite well, so well that if (when?) Doumit goes down again, I won't be too worried about the drop off. As for which one is optioned when Doumit does return, I would guess Diaz. Though Diaz is a better hitter, his shortcomings behind the plate swing this decision to Jaramillo. Plus, Jaramillo proved he's no slouch with the bat.

The Curious Case of Benching Sanchez

2009-05-28T17:03:00.002-04:00

In yesterday's 5-2 loss to the Cubs, manager John Russell opted to give a couple of starters the day off. One of which was Freddy Sanchez, who had 8 hits in 9 at bats the previous two games. Russell said that he wanted to give Sanchez a day off, and with Thursday's off day, here was a chance for two consecutive days without playing, which could be important since on Friday the Pirates start a stretch of 17 games without an off day. However, the chance for a winning road trip, a winning series against the Cubs, and a crucial win over a division rival should take priority. Granted, the Pirates will probably not make the playoffs this year, or even have a winning record, but you never know.

There has been talk (amongst fans and bloggers and such) that Sanchez being benched periodically is due to a clause in his contract that calls for his 2010 option year to kick in if he reaches 635 plate appearances, or 600 along with an All-Star appearance. Pirates' President Frank Coonelly thinks it's offensive to even speculate that the Pirates would intentionally prevent that from happening by not playing Sanchez. I think it's doubtful that that's what's happening here, but it's perfectly reasonable to broach the subject. I think the current management teams knows what they're doing, and they've given us no reason to doubt them too much, but how can a Pirate fan not be suspicious after so many years of questionable moves by the organization in general?

Back to the day off, Sanchez's last day off was May 10, against the Mets. This came 3 days after his previous day off. It was, of course, these two days off that led to the Coonelly tirade mentioned above. Now, since that May 10th game, Sanchez had played in 15 games, without a day off, so the timing of this off day is not too suspicious. And coupling it with Thursday's off day is not out of the ordinary at all. Manager's frequently use a scheduled off day to give a player 2 day's rest. However, I do think the benching had a little more to it than just resting the team's best hitter.

2009 might be a rebuilding year to some degree, or at least a figure-out-what-we've-got year. I'm sure the team isn't sure if they want Sanchez to return next year. Since this year will most likely be a losing season, and 2010 might not be much better, management has to figure out if it's worth keeping a player like Sanchez around for this entire season, as well as the next. And since that's the case, the Pirates need to see what other options they have at second. So in steps Delwyn Young, for what I believe is his third start at second this year. Young, however, did very little to put Sanchez's job in jeopardy, watching a third strike three times, popping out on the first pitch with a runner at third and no outs, and botching a throw on what should have been an inning-ending double play, thus allowing the Cubs' second run to score. Another possible replacement for Sanchez could be Shelby Ford, currently playing for AAA Indianapolis. Ford is stinking up the place though, hitting .186, with 6 extra base hits in 32 games. He also has struck out 26 times, with only 2 walks. So, I'm hoping the Pirates' management will see that the team does not currently possess a suitable replacement for Sanchez, should he depart at some point.

Back to the conspiracy theory: If the Pirates really do not want Sanchez back next year, with his $8.5 million salary, they would trade him at the deadline. Letting him walk after the season would garner the Bucs a draft pick, or two possibly, but they could get a lot more in a trade, provided that Sanchez keeps hitting like he is. Here's where Coonelly and company win: if Sanchez hits, they play him, save a day off every 2 weeks or so, and then trade him in July or keep him and his option. If he doesn't hit, they can get away with benching him more often, seeing what the trade market brings, and if the offers aren't good enough, they possibly let him walk after the season if he doesn't meet the PA requirements, or keep him. For the record, Sanchez currently has 197 plate appearances through the Pirates' first 47 games. At that pace, Sanchez will end the season with 679, easily surpassing the option threshold.

As for the financial aspects, with Adam LaRoche and John Grabow almost certain to be gone next year, and with Jack Wilson likely to be, the Pirates' payroll should remain fairly similar to this years' total, even with Sanchez earning $8.5 million. Unless the Pirates are planning to reduce their payroll by a noticeable margin, they should certainly be able to afford Sanchez.

As for where I stand, I am a huge fan of Freddy Sanchez. I understand that it's possible at some point that his salary could exceed his worth, but with no replacement second baseman around, at least until 2011 if Jim Negyrch (AA stats: .301, 21 walks, 9 strike outs) proves to be worthy, keeping Sanchez seems like a must.

I Think Freddy's Slump Is Over

2009-05-26T00:00:00.003-04:00

In tonight's 10-8 win over the Cubs, Freddy Sanchez became the first Pirate since Wally Backman in 1990 to have 6 hits in a single game. Sanchez singled 4 times, doubled, homered, scored 4 runs, drove in 3 and even stole a base. The Pirates totaled 18 hits, 7 of them for extra bases. After coming from behind to defeat the White Sox on Sunday, and in doing so snapping a 5 game losing streak against the Sox, it is especially nice to see the team get a win against the Cubs in the series opener. These Cubs, along with the Brewers, and all American League teams for that matter, have had the Bucs' number the past few years. The win tonight also clinched a .500 record on this 10 game road trip, the Pirates' longest of the season. A split or better in the remaining two games would give the Bucs an impressive winning trip.

There was some bad news, however. Closer Matt Capps left the game in the 9th after taking a Geovany Soto line drive off his right hand. No word yet on the severity. Losing Capps for an extended period would certainly be costly for the Bucs, especially after he has seemed to regain his form of late.

Up next, Ian Snell versus Sean Marshall on Tuesday, followed by Zach Duke against Carlos Zambrano on Wednesday. A nice gauge as to Duke's improvement this season will be in how he fares against Alfonso Soriano. Soriano is hitting .560 in his career against Duke, with 3 doubles and 2 home runs, in 25 at bats.

Even Under My Watchful Eye, the Pirates Lose

2009-05-24T00:23:00.002-04:00

Tonight's Pirates/White Sox game was televised on WGN and I can't say that I've seen too many White Sox games before and I may not care to again. Not because the Pirates can do nothing against them. Well, not just because of that. What I really can't stand is their horrible announcers. Well, one of them at least. I didn't really pay attention to their names while I was watching, but I think Ken Harrelson is the guy. He does the play-by-play but he sounds like a color commentator. He's obnoxious and annoying and the general feel for the broadcast is amateurish. Plus, though this is no fault of the announcers, though maybe the broadcast team in general, I could hear heckling like never before during a televised game. Seriously, it went on, very audibly, for the first four innings, and then occasionally thereafter. It was mostly harmless, like "Hey Wilson, your helmet's on backwards!" or "Andy LaRoche, you suck!" which was said while Adam LaRoche was batting. However, I did hear a heckle of Jason Jaramillo that sounded a bit racist. To be fair, I'm not a huge fan of WGN's Cubs coverage either, but at least Bob Brenley and whoever else they have are fairly professional.

As for the game, well, a fellow named Clayton Richard completely dominated the Bucs tonight. He was one of the players in the potential Jake Peavy deal that fell through. Richard did look very sharp out there; it wasn't just the Pirate hitters' incompetence, though there was a bit of that. On the plus side, Ross Ohlendorf pitched pretty well, nearly throwing a complete game. Ohlendorf was especially sharp early on, but then got beat a bit, as the game wore on, by leaving too many pitches up. There were actually a handful of balls hit very well off him that fortunately found their way into the gloves of Pirate defenders, though a fastball that stayed up to Alexei Ramirez and a hanging curve to Jermaine Dye both ended up in the seats. Still, it was nice to see another solid start. Andy LaRoche looked very good today, making a number of fine plays at third, singling twice, drawing a walk and stealing a base. And we did reach that point in the ninth, with Andy due up and 2 outs. I was very worried that John Russell would send up good ol' Ramon Vazquez to hit for him. Fortunately, Andy was allowed to hit and, in perhaps a "This is what happens when you don't pinch-hit for me" moment, he roped a single to left. Of course he was stranded and the Bucs lost 4-0, their third consecutive defeat. Perhaps their fortunes look better tomorrow, when they have a clear disadvantage in the pitching match up: Jeff Karstens vs. Mark Buehrle. Because having a better starter sure doesn't seem to matter.

The One Quarter Mark (roughly)

2009-05-23T09:52:00.002-04:00

So, the Pirates sit at 19-23, just over one fourth of the way through the season, following last night's 2-0 loss to Gavin Floyd and the White Sox. Anyway, yesterday I planned to write something ominous about how the Pirates have won 7 of 10 games, and 3 consecutive series, and were headed to their second stop on a road trip, a stop with bad memories for the team. Rewind a bit, back to late April. On Monday, April 27, the Pirates had won 7 of their last 9, and three consecutive series. They were about to make the second stop on a road trip, at a place where the Pirates have no luck recently. Well, that first place was Milwaukee, and that game began the Bucs' worst stretch of the year, losing 12 of their next 13. Last night, the Bucs lost to the Sox, of course, and these are the same White Sox who trounced the Pirates last June by a combined score of 37 to 15 in a sweep. You see, I worried that even comparing the current Pirates to the late April Pirates would alert the baseball gods to this apparent cycle and condemn the Pirates to return to their patented sorry ways.

Well, though the Pirates did lose last night, I'm happy that Zach Duke continued to pitch well, tossing the complete game. This a day after Ian Snell was decent, though very inefficient with his pitch count, against the Nationals. Though both of these games featured very poor hitting by Pittsburgh, not so much the leaving men on kind, more like the not even getting them on to start with kind. And apparently, according to the Post-Gazette, John Russell was not happy about this.

Also, the Pirates completed their trade with the Dodgers for Delwyn Young yesterday. All it took was sending the Dodgers AA reliever Eric Krebs and a crisp $1 bill. Actually, I'm not sure if the dollar had to be crisp. And in this situation, where the deal called for 2 players to be named later or 1 and cash, and the 1 and cash was chosen by Los Angeles, how does the $1 get to LA? Do the Pirates just wire it? Maybe LA sets up a direct deposit account with the Pirates. Or do the Bucs give it to Krebs with instructions to make sure Frank McCourt receives it? By the way, this McCourt is the Dodgers owner and not the writer of Angela's Ashes, but if anyone knows the value of $1, it's the second McCourt.

Lately much has been made of John Russell pinch hitting for Andy LaRoche late in the game. First off, I'm not sure there's much benefit to this strategically, aside from maybe having a left-handed hitter face a right-handed pitcher, which doesn't always mean a lot. Since the first 2 weeks of the season, LaRoche has been a much better, and more consistent, hitter than Ramon Vazquez. And, if LaRoche is meant, or at least hoped, to be such an integral part of the Pirates' future, I don't know why you would want to send him a vote of no confidence. I did a little research and came up with some stats: Ramon Vazquez, as a pinch hitter in general, is 2 for 9, plus some walks. Pinch hitting for Andy LaRoche, he is 0 for 3. Anyone else pinch hitting for LaRoche, 0 for 1. This does not include when a player, usually Vazquez, is brought in on a double switch, or just given the start over LaRoche. So, based on the results, Vazquez hitting for LaRoche seems like a bad idea. Just in case, I checked out the batter-vs-pitcher stats for the last couple of situations where Vazquez hit for LaRoche:

May 21, vs. Joel Hanrahan. Coming in, Andy LaRoche: 1 for 1. Ramon Vazquez: 1 for 2
May 15, vs. Huston Street. Coming in, Andy LaRoche: N/A. Ramon Vazquez: 0 for 1

Neither case provides an obvious advantage in pinch-hitting Vazquez for Laroche. Maybe Russell's a little too in love with lefty-righty match ups.

Last month I posted Adam Laroche's current statistics, along with where he was at at the same point in 2008 and 2007. Now that his early hot streak is clearly over, it's only fair that I give a little updated comparison:

Through 42 games,
2009: .227, 7 HR, 20 RBI, .777 OPS
2008: .191, 4 HR, 16 RBI, .606 OPS
2007: .204, 4 HR, 20 RBI, .674 OPS

It's starting to look like things are evening out. Unfortunately.

Pirates Win 4th Straight, Barely Climb Out of Cellar

2009-05-20T10:07:00.003-04:00

With last night's ugly, ten-inning victory over the hapless Nationals, the Pirates picked up their fourth win in a row, and sixth win in their last 8 games. The win, coupled with the Astros loss to Milwaukee, moved the Pirates into fifth place, albeit by only percentage points. I make a point of this because there's no telling how long the Pirates will be ahead of anyone in the standings. It's a good feeling, too. And, in what may actually be somewhat of a pitcher's duel, the Pirates can win their third consecutive series, and fifth straight game, with a win today. Paul Maholm starts for Pittsburgh against John Lannan. Though these two are arguably the best starters on their respective teams, their career numbers against one another are not pretty. Maholm vs. Washington: 0-2, 6.12 ERA. Lannan vs. Pittsburgh: 0-2, 7.00 ERA. So, maybe that pitching duel's off.

Also, I'd like to take a quick look at the Bucs' offense. Most people, myself included, felt that this year's offense would be noticeably worse than the pre-trading-deadline offense of 2008. With Jason Bay and Xavier Nady being replaced by Nyjer Morgan and Brandon Moss, that made perfect sense. Well, thus far in 2009, through all 39 games, the Pirates have scored 182 runs. Through 39 games in 2008, the Pirates scored 185. The difference is negligible. But can the Pirates of 2009 sustain this level of offensive fortitude? Certainly if they keep playing the Nationals and Rockies. But, seriously, as a team, they can. If you look over their individual hitting statistics for the season, no one is clearly outperforming their own capabilities, and I'm including Morgan here, since it's no shock that he can hit .300 and steal bases, though his gradually increasing walk total is a pleasant improvement. If anything, some players are performing below their own standards: Adam LaRoche we know will pick it up later this year, but Eric Hinske is homerless in 59 at bats and Ramon Vazquez is hitting just over .200. And don't forget, Ryan Doumit will return around the All-Star Break.

So, yes, the offense can keep it up. That I'm not too worried about. And the starting pitching, that's sustainable too, as Maholm hasn't gotten it going yet, and I still think Snell will find some consistency. What troubles me is the bullpen. Can they keep it up? It's entirely possible, which is a horrifying prospect.

The Long and Not Too Winding Road

2009-05-18T10:35:00.002-04:00

The Pirates embark today on their longest road trip of the season. Longest in terms of games scheduled, but quite short in terms of mileage. (The team actually finishes up the first half with a 9 game, 10 day trip to Miami, Houston and Philadelphia, which may end up seeming like the longest trip.) They play 4 in Washington beginning today and then head to Chicago for the final 6 games of the trip, 3 each against the White Sox and Cubs. A very odd scheduling quirk here.

This comes after some complaining has been done in recent years by the Pirates' management and fans about the team's schedule being created solely to make life more difficult for the Pirates, with multiple long trips to the West Coast, and such. I never believed the Pirates were the unfair victims of preferential scheduling, but looking over this year's, there do seem to be some minor improvements over recent seasons. In 2008, the Pirates played 5 series on the road against NL West teams, including one stretch with 3 in San Francisco bookended by 3 in Cincinnati and 4 in Houston, without a day off, and another with 3 in Phoenix after 3 in Chicago and just prior to three more in Philadelphia. Rough stretches for sure.

As for 2009, the Pirates have already played at San Diego, which was the first leg of a 2 city road trip, with days off at the beginning and end. In June, the Pirates play at Denver as part of a 6 game trip which begins in Minnesota. Also, that trip is bookended by days off as well. Late July sees the team travel to both Phoenix and San Francisco on the same trip, which concludes with a day off. The Pirates play at Colorado again in August, part of a 6 game trip and begins with a day off and ends at Chicago. The Pirates' penultimate road trip of the season takes them to Houston and Los Angeles, and, once again, it is bookended by off days. Clearly, this year's schedule gives the Pirates nothing to complain about.

As for the games themselves, I am very hopeful that the Bucs can keep this offense going against a very bad pitching staff in Washington. The trip ends with a couple of weak spots for the Pirates. They have had quite a bit of trouble with the Cubs in recent years, and inter-league play has just destroyed the team. With 10 games, we'll see the entire rotation twice through, and I'd bet that each position player gets at least one start over this stretch. The Bucs will get the first taste of the DH this weekend in Chicago. 2 lefty's are scheduled for the White Sox, so Craig Monroe might get himself a pair of starts. It should be fun. Well, it might be fun.

Busy Morning for the Bucs

2009-05-17T12:15:00.002-04:00

The Pirates try to win their second successive series today against the Rockies. Zach Duke is on the hill for the Bucs, against Ubaldo Jimenez for the Rockies. Just looking at the batter vs. pitcher stats on ESPN, the LaRoche boys are a combined 7 for 12 against Jimenez. And a number of Rockies have had success against Duke, most notably Matt Murton (10 for 25).

Anyway, the Pirates have also placed reliever Tyler Yates on the 15-Day DL this morning and recalled Tom Gorzelanny. Here's the PBC Blog piece on it. So, apparently Gorzelanny will pitch out of the bullpen, which finally gives Pittsburgh a long reliever. Gorzelanny had been pitching okay in Indy. In 40 2/3 innings, 40 hits (only 2 homers), 16 walks and 36 strike outs. Nothing spectacular, but decent. Yates, of course, has been struggling a bit this year and it looks like right elbow inflammation is at least partially to blame. Gorzelanny in the 'pen is interesting. I doubt the Pirates would pull Karstens from the rotation too quickly, since he has been pitching pretty well, but having Gorzelanny around might make it easier to make that switch, if and when the times comes.

Also today, the Bucs made a couple of small trades. They acquired outfielder Jeff Corsaletti from Boston and pitcher Randy Newson from Cleveland. Both were acquired for players to be named later and both are to be assigned to AA Altoona.

Doing a little research, I see that Coraletti is 26 years old and bats left-handed. Splitting time between AA and AAA last year, he hit .285 with 14 homers and 65 RBIs, with a pretty respectable BB:K ratio of 71:93. He's even stolen some bases in the minors. Though at that age, and having not yet seen the majors, I doubt the upside is too high.

Newsom is a 27 year old right-hander. He's been a reliever his entire pro career, reaching the AAA level this year and last. In his minor league career, in 275 innings, he has an ERA of 3.17, with 115 walks and 166 strike outs. Not especially impressive numbers. Both of these acquisitions were, most likely, just organizational moves aimed at increasing the overall talent in the system. Neither players will likely have an impact in the Majors.

5/16/09 Pirates vs. Rockies: LIVE!

2009-05-16T18:59:00.065-04:00

7:01 PM: Here we go folks. Since I didn't figure out a legitimate live blog technique, there will have to be a lot of refreshing to get the full experience. Someday I'll do this the right way.

First a little Bucs' news: The team made a trade today with the Yankees, acquiring minor league starter Eric Hacker for Romulo Sanchez. Also, Nyjer Morgan will be out for a couple games with a sore hamstring.

7:07 PM: Here's ESPN's live box score for the game.

7:09 PM: I know it's early, but Snell's looking pretty sharp.

7:11 PM: I spoke too soon. Now Snell's getting squeezed a bit.

7:15 PM: 2 on, 2 out. Hopefully Snell can bear down and get out of this. I'd hate to see a 2 out walk turn into some 1st inning runs for the Rocks.

7:18 PM: I'm jinxing him, apparently. 2 run double for Spilborghs.

7:21 PM: I excited to see Delwyn Young. I haven't seen him yet with Pitt.

7:24 PM: C'mon, Nate. My fantasy team needs you too.

7: 28 PM: Nice little bit on the charity baseball thing with Freddy. He seems like a good guy. Someday we'll be friends.

7:29 PM: Homer for Barmes, on a hanger. Snell's stuff looks decent tonight, aside from the hanger, so I hope this is one of his starts that begins ugly and only gets prettier.

7: 33 PM: Ian finishes the 2nd strong, but 46 pitches through 2 doesn't bode well. How tall is Fowler? 6'7"?

7:35 PM: Hit for Adam. For some reason cleanup hitters kill Cook. Hitting like .600 against him.

7: 36PM: Hit for Moss. All the sudden he's good. I like that.

7:37PM: 3 straight hits and the Pirates are on the board. Nice to see big Adam chugging around 3rd. 3-1 Rocks.

7:40 PM: Bases juiced. It's Jack Wilson time! (no double play, please)

7:41 PM: Slow ground out, 1 run scores, everyone else advances. 3-2 CO.

7: 45PM: DELWYN! 2 run, 2 out hit gives the Bucs the lead. This is the clutch hitting absent from the last 2 games, and the dozen or so games prior to Tuesday.

7:47PM: I guess the rain is picking up, and here comes the tarp. Announcers say it shouldn't last long. I hope that's the case, what with the Bucs putting a nice rally together. 2 outs, Young on first, Sanchez due up, whenever the game resumes.

8:03 PM: When you only get to watch maybe 10 Pirate games a year, "bonus" coverage of the Orioles and Royals just doesn't cut it. Maybe if Greinke was pitching it would be ok.

8:25 PM: The weather forcasts shows that the rain will pass, I'm just not sure how quickly. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

8:37 PM: This rain delay has given me the opportunity to make a roster move on my fantasy team. Placed Frank Francisco on the DL and added Scott Downs. Oh, the excitement.

9:16 PM: Game should resume soon. I've spent the delay catching up on last night's The Soup ("Take it."). I wonder is PNC has a mound indoors, you know, to keep the pitchers loose. I'd hate to see the bullpen have to absorb 7 innings tonight. That might mean Donnie Veal, which is almost as bad as Matt Capps. Oooh.

9:24 PM: First play after the delay and the Bucs get a borderline call in their favor on Young's steal.

9:28 PM: Snell is out. Sean Burnett is in. Maybe he can go 3 innings.

9:32 PM: Not a good start for Burnett: leadoff walk, single to Helton. 1st and 3rd, no outs. And now Hawpe's up.

9:33 PM: Sac fly, 4-4. And Helton advanced to 2nd. The ball carried really well. We could be in for some fireworks the rest of this game.

9:36 PM: Another break for the Pirates as Helton ran into an out at third. Now, 2 outs and a runner on first.

9:43 PM: Oliver Onion build a bear? What the?

9:46 PM: Belisle is bit concerned with Nate at 1st. Perhaps enough so to groove a fastball to Moss?

9:48 PM: McLouth steals second, now let's see if Moss can bring him in...nope. Ground out, McLouth to third.

9:51 PM: I'm getting sick of this Speed Stick commercial. What's my pit type? Itchy? Hairy? Sweaty? Lonely? Grumpy? That's too personal a question.

9:53 PM: Apparently bobbleheads of specific players debuted in 1960. Who knew? Also, Jack Wilson is a stud.

10:02 PM: Clemente, Mays, Mantle and Maris were the first 4 bobbleheads. Interesting.

10:05 PM: Burnett gets a very rare at bat and grounds out. Looks like he's going 3+ tonight.

10:08 PM: Leadoff double for Tulo. Helton and Hawpe up next. Can Burnett bear down and get some outs? Well, Helton just grounded out, Tulo to third. One out.

10:09 PM: Infield is in, the Bucs don't wont to allow a run here since their odds of scoring the rest of the night is slim, if recent history is any indication. Hawpe just grounded out, runner held at third. Now, 2 outs. Very nice.

10:11 PM: Line out to center, three outs. Nice pitching by Burnett, keeping that leadoff double from hurting. Maybe this will be a momentum builder. I'm too optimistic. And again with the freaking pit ad!

10:15 PM: Turns out this is Delwyn's first time batting lead off in pro ball. At least as far as he can remember.

10:16 PM: It's my new BFF! Best Friend Freddy!

10:17 PM: The Miracle League field is awesome. It's designed for kids with disabilities, with a synthetic turf so kids in wheelchairs and walkers and play.

10:19 PM: Home Run for McLouth!! On his bobblehead night too! 5-4 Bucs!

10:20 PM: Way to kill the high LaRoche. He just struck out on a pitch that I believe was just below his left foot. Like, directly below. And, again with the pits. I might have to write a strongly worded letter to the MLB Net. Though I think they only have three different commercials total here. The Pit, Ken Burns and themselves.

10:22 PM: Hannah wins the pierogi race. Well done.

10:24 PM: Evan Meek is pitching now. And Iannetta just threw his bat about 20 rows into the crowd on a swing. It looks like no one was hurt.

10:26 PM: Easy play, but Jack Wilson rushes his throw and pulls LaRoche off first. E-6.

10:31 PM: How often will Adam LaRoche outrun Dexter Fowler? Well, I guess if Adam has a 50 foot head start.

10:32 PM: New pitcher, Jason Grilli, and Moss greets his first offering by drilling it into the notch. Moss is like 9 for his last 15. Sweet. Now, a wild pitch. Moss to third.

10:35 PM: The Bay Boys (named for Jason Bay trade) are getting things done tonight. Andy Laroche just singled in Moss. 6-4 Bucs. Still no outs.

10:37 PM: The Pirates look like a real team right now. Hit and run single by Jaramillo, LaRoche to third. No outs. Jack Wilson time!

10:41PM: Sac fly for Wilson, 7-4 Bucs. And apparently Jason Grilli and Jim Leyland are not friends. Pitching change now.

10:44 PM: In ex-Buc news, Jason Bay just homered for Boston. He must have heard that Moss and LaRoche are having good games and he needs to make sure that it is known that he is superior to both of them combined. Also, our good friend Jose Bautista had the game winning hit for Toronto today.

10:46 PM: Blass is talking about Matt Capps. That's making me nervous.

10:52 PM: I always get excited when I see that commercial with Tim Lincecum in a Pirates hat. I know it was when he was like 9 years old, but the Pirates could use a 9 year old Lincecum in their rotation.

10:54 PM: Jesse Chavez is now pitching, top of the 7th. Who would have though back in spring training that Chavez would be the most reliable reliever the Bucs have. I was just trying to remember which trade the Bucs got him in. I was thinking the Sean Casey one maybe, but the announcers just said it was the Kip Wells deal. I would call that a good trade for Pittsburgh.

10:57 PM: Chavez just made Helton look foolish on a wicked change up. . Now a fly out to center ends the Rockies half of the 7th.

11:02 PM: Really nice to see Adam drill a double off a lefty. Now Moss is up and...fly out to center. Boo.

11:13 PM: Andy LaRoche called out on a close pitch to end the 7th. He argued some but wasn't tossed. It was close, too close to take with 2 strikes. Grabow in now.

11:17 PM: Pretty quick 8th for Grabow. They just showed footage of Kerrigan working with a partially blindfolded Capps on his delivery. Perhaps Capps will use the blindfold in the 9th tonight.

11:21 PM: First Burnett, now Grabow with an at bat. Exciting day for the bullpen.

11:22 PM: Really nice sacrifice bunt for Grabow. I'm impressed.

11:23 PM: Capps coming in. Here comes twubble.

11:27 PM: Leadoff walk. Capps looks to be having a little trouble with location. Shocking.

11:28 PM: 6-4-3 double play. What a relief. Seriously.

11:30 PM: Ground out to short, Pirates win 7-4! Save for Capps, win for Burnett, nice all around game. Clutch hitting, great job by the bullpen pitching 7 innings after the rain delay. Zach Duke pitching tomorrow, going for the series win, and once again needing to eat up some innings.

If anyone was out there tonight, thanks for dropping by for my first ever live-ish blog. Have a good night.

Who's Ready for a Live Blog?

2009-05-15T15:04:00.003-04:00

Thanks to my new favorite channel, the MLB Network, the Pirates' game on Saturday against the Colorado Rockies will be on TV here in Indiana. And I'm taking this opportunity to do a little live blogging experiment. The game is scheduled to begin at 7:05 pm Eastern, so don't be late. Just in case any of you might possibly have something better to do on a Saturday night (but really, what's better than a Pirates/Rockies game?), the complete transcript will be available afterward. Actually, realistically, the actual live blog will probably just be a regular entry that I continuously update, unless I can figure a more fancy professional way to do it. Anyway, I'm excited about it.

The game itself features Ian Snell pitching for the Bucs against Aaron Cook for the Rockies. Cook's a good pitcher, but he doesn't have great numbers against the Pirates in his career (4.83 ERA in 31 2/3 innings), though Snell's are not much better (4.78 ERA in 26 1/3). Snell does have a little history with the Rockies though, with the infamous "I will kill that dude" sign-stealing incident from 2 years ago. I'm pretty sure enough time has passed that that won't be an issue at all, however.

As for this Rockies series in general, it begins a stretch of 7 games against teams that might just be worse than the Pirates (3 vs. Colorado, 4 at Washington). It presents a nice opportunity for the Pirates to build on their series win against the Cardinals. With Nyjer Morgan and Freddy Sanchez apparently slump-proof, and with Adam LaRoche and Brandon Moss starting to hit, the Bucs' offense appears to be getting things going again, if you consider yesterday's abysmal hitting with men on base an aberration. So, hopefully the team can pull off a couple more series wins before their first taste of Inter-League play begins next Friday (followed by their first games against the Cubs, another crux of the Bucs).

Off the Schneid

2009-05-13T09:52:00.002-04:00

A tale of two games:

Game A: A home game. Brandon Moss hits an RBI triple off the center field wall. Andy LaRoche homers. The Paul Maholm pitches superbly. Matt Capps tries to close it out in the 9th.

Game B: A home game. Brandon Moss hits his first homer. Adam LaRoche homers. Zach Duke pitches wonderfully. Matt Capps finishes it off in the 9th.

Game B was last night against the Cardinals. The Pirates won 7-1, ending their 8 game losing streak. A very well played game, completely dominated by the home team. Game A took place just 8 days prior. From a superficial perspective, many of the same things happened in this game that happened in last night's, but each was to a lesser degree. And, of course, Game A was played against the Brewers. What a difference a week makes, and what a difference the opponent makes.

Another interesting note about last night's game is that it was the Pirates' first win in a series opening game since April 20, against the Marlins. Actually, the Pirates had won the first game of each series up until that point, and they've lost the first game of every series since, prior to last night's game. This does not necessarily mean the Bucs are about to embark on some epic winning streak, it just means that last night may have marked a return to their winning and, more refreshingly, competent style of baseball that they began the season with.

Ross Ohlendorf takes the hill tonight, against Joel Pineiro for the Cards, looking to give the Bucs their first series win since late April in San Diego. On Thursday, Jeff Karstens faces Mitchell Boggs, hopefully going for the sweep. It should be a good series.

Jack Wilson Returns

2009-05-12T09:50:00.002-04:00

Prior to tonight's home game against the St. Louis Cardinals, shortstop Jack Wilson should be activated from the disabled list, and fill-in Brian Bixler will be returned to Indianapolis, where he belongs. Now, it's no secret the Pirates have been struggling horribly the past 2 weeks, losing 8 games in a row, and 12 of their past 13. And, though I don't think Jack Wilson alone could have prevented this losing streak, I feel that the Pirates would have perhaps won another game or two in this span, or at least, not looked quite so bad, if Wilson had been here. To be fair, I should add that the Wilson was placed on the DL prior to the game in San Diego on April 26. The Pirates won that game, so, technically, they lost 12 of 14 with him gone.

Speaking just of the team's record, with Jack Wilson on the disabled list this year, the Pirates are 2-12. In 2008, Wilson also missed time due to injury. While he was on the DL last year, the Pirates went 22-24, which is actually a better winning percentage than they're accustomed to. However, the primary fill-in for Wilson the past two seasons has been Brian Bixler. Though Bixler has performed well in AAA, the Majors does not seem like his cup of tea.

Covering parts of the last three seasons, Bixler has hit a combined .280 with 12 home runs and 95 RBIs in 988 plate appearances for the AAA Indianapolis Indians. Decent, but unspectacular statistics. Bixler has stolen 53 bases in this time, but his strike outs-to-walks ratio is a poor 2.74:1. With the decent average and the speed and some extra-base-hits, it would appear that Bixler is performing very well in AAA, and perhaps that performance would translate to the Bigs. Unfortunately, that has not been the case.

In these past couple of weeks, where Wilson was injured and the Pirates turned a solid start to the year into the usual sad routine, Bixler made 8 starts at shortstop for the Bucs. In those 8 games, Bixler hit .200, with 1 walk and 18 strike outs. Among his 5 hits, he did manage 3 doubles, and he did drive in 3 runs. But striking out in 18 of your 25 at bats? Absolutely horrid.

In 2008, Bixler was just as bad. Though he only struck out 36 times in 108 at bats (by the way, that's still a pace of 200 K's for a 600 at bat season, which is Mark Reynolds territory), Bixler hit just .157 with 3 extra-base hits and 2 RBIs. Aside from his 2004 campaign, Jack Wilson has never really been thought of as an offensive shortstop. However, compared to his backup, Wilson is a regular Luke Appling.

Now, much has been made of the fact that Wilson's contract runs out after this season (he does have an option at around $8.5 million that the Pirates will absolutely NOT pick up). Wilson has stated that he would like to remain in Pittsburgh, even at a lower salary, for at least one more year. Just how low? I don't know. I've said it before, if Wilson will take something in the $3-4 million range, he would be well worth it.

Though Wilson's not the long term answer at short, he is the best option for this year and next. Bixler has proven, thus far, that he's not capable. There are a number of other intriguing shortstops in the lower levels of the minors (AA: Brian Friday, High A: Jordy Mercer, Low A: Chase D'Arnaud, Injured/Out for Year: Jarek Cunningham) but only Friday would have a legitimate chance of being major league ready at some point in 2010, though if he were to have to wait a little longer in AAA, or share time in the Bigs with Wilson, I doubt his growth would be too stunted.

I get the rebuilding, or whatever you want to call it, and I'm all for that. I would have no problem with saying so long to Wilson, and letting Bixler flounder around out there for a full year if I thought he would get it figured out and become a competent shortstop. However, I don't see Bixler reaching that level and he's probably looking at an uninteresting, and somewhat disheartening, career in the mystical in-between world of 4A.

Karstens Pitches Well (!), but Moss and Offense Fail Again

2009-05-08T23:13:00.003-04:00

The much maligned Jeff Karstens pitched a very solid game tonight in New York only to be let down by his bullpen and offense, in a 7-3 loss. The Dynamic Duo of Tyler Yates and Sean Burnett combined to allow 5 runs on 5 hits and 2 walks in the 8th before being bailed out by Donnie Veal, of all people. And, once again, the Pirates' offense did very little in this one, leaving 9 runners on base and failing to get the clutch hit. The dreariness continues.

Brandon Moss continued to make a case for a trip to Indianapolis with another 0 for 4 game. Moss is 3 for 22 this month and is hitting only .185 on the year. Now with AAA pitcher Jimmy Barthmaier scheduled for Tommy John surgery, and a trip to the 60-Day DL, a 40-man roster spot will soon open up. I can't help but think this could mean Andrew McCutchen could be coming up. However, if we are to believe management, McCutchen's call-up will be based on when he's ready, not on any other factors. Still, I think a move of some sort could be coming. I'm pretty sure Moss still has a minor league option, so he could be sent down for a bit to get himself straightened out. Maybe the more likely replacement would be Steve Pearce, who, by the way, hit his 6th homer tonight for Indy. Or possibly Jeff Salazar, who is not on the 40-man, but now could be added. Although, Moss could just see some more time on the bench, with capable outfielder options in Craig Monroe, Delwyn Young and Eric Hinske currently on the active roster. I'm not sure if the bench is the best spot for Moss though. Or for the team, for that matter. Maybe a little roster shuffle could help motivate the hitters. And with Jack Wilson due back on Tuesday, perhaps two moves might do the trick.

Correction: Moss is, in fact, out of minor league options. So, scrap all that I wrote above here. I made a miscalculation.

Malaise

2009-05-07T10:52:00.002-04:00

A close loss to the Cardinals, one in which many a runner was left on base, should upset a Pirate fan like me. For some reason, it doesn't. Maybe it's nice to lose to a team other than Milwaukee. To lose a game that does not extend some dreadful streak (though, to be fair, versus St. Louis: it's 2 and counting). The Pirates usually lose to the Cardinals, but the Bucs always beat them occasionally, so losing the first of two can't be shocking, or especially disappointing. It's business as usual again, with no Brewers games on the schedule until after the All-Star Break. There will be wins. There will be losses. Probably more of the latter. But no games against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pirates' one bane. Except for Inter-League Play, of which the Bucs play 15 games between now and the next series with the Brewers, and which the Pirates are 63 and 103, the worst in the Majors, since its inception in 1997. Oh.

On the bright side, I'm actually kind of excited about the Bucs' lineup for today's game in St. Louis:

McLouth, CF
Young, 2B
Monroe, LF
Hinske, 1B
Moss, RF
Andy LaRoche, 3B
Diaz, C
Bixler, SS
Ohlendorf, P

The team has lost 8 of 9, so it's really time to give some guys a day off and get some other players involved. I like seeing McLouth back at lead off, for today, anyway, not permanently. And I like seeing Delwyn Young getting some more playing time. I worry about having 2 pitchers hitting at the end of the lineup, but hopefully the top 7 can create some runs.

Heartbreaking

2009-05-05T16:55:00.002-04:00

If I were a Brewers fan, Monday night's game in Pittsburgh would have been such a thrilling contest. Our best hitter was not even in the stadium when the game began, yet he appeared on the field at the most opportune time, delivering a pinch-hit double to tie the game in the 8th. But, oh no! Our bullpen gives the opponents the lead right back and we have to face the Pirates' closer in the 9th. But then, we score 4 runs and win! Our 16th consecutive victory over the Pirates, even. What a game!

Unfortunately, I am a Pittsburgh Pirate fan, and last night's game was horrendous. So many things were going right in this one. Paul Maholm out pitched Yovani Gallardo, who completely baffled the Bucs last week in Milwaukee. Brandon Moss drove an RBI triple off the center field wall in the second, give him a whopping 3 RBIs on the year. Andy LaRoche hits his first homer of the year, and the Pirates' first home run since big bro Adam hit a pair just over a week ago in San Diego. Everything was going so well until the 8th. After one out, Maholm walked JJ Hardy. With Rickie Weeks due up, John Russell called on the eratic Tyler Yates to relieve Maholm. Even though Yates would eventually strike Weeks out, I found it unnecessary to pull Maholm at this point. He was pitching well, the Bucs had a 2 run lead and he had only thrown 98 pitches. Though that's not exactly a low total, Russell allowed Ian Snell to throw 130 last week in an even closer game. Anyway, so Weeks strikes out and Russell brings in John Grabow to go after Prince Fielder. Grabow has been struggling, but I felt confident he could get Fielder. However, the big guy singled to center and then Grabow walked Mike Cameron, bringing up Chris Duffy. But wait. Ryan Braun, who was in Milwaukee earlier in the day to have an MRI, is called on to pinch hit. This isn't quite Kirk Gibson dramatic, but close enough. So Braun then dumps a 2 run double into shallow right and the game is tied. Gut-wrenching. Heartbreaking. Pathetic. Whatever you want to call it. So, even though the Pirates took the lead back in the bottom of the 8th, it was no surprise that this one ended up being a loss, as Matt Capps allowed 4 runs in the 9th. Horrible, horrible game.

This past week, culminating in last night's loss, has sucked all the excitement and optimism out of the season, at least for right now. ESPN, who ranked the Bucs 7th in their Power Rankings 8 days ago, have dropped them back where they belong this week: 19th. Tonight the Pirates try to avoid their 17th consecutive loss to the Brewers. As we all know, the Pirates are also trying to avoid their 17th consecutive losing season this year. Will tonight's game be a sign of things to come?

Also, it appears that the aforementioned Mr. Capps is suffering from minor discomfort in his right elbow, possibly brought on by guilt. He is expected to rest for a few days. I get the feeling that the pain is at least partially related to his performances the past two games he's pitched. Perhaps rust, perhaps overcompensation. But I don't feel the loss of Capps will hurt the Bucs too much for the next few days.

Watching Karstens Pitch = Torture

2009-05-03T17:22:00.002-04:00

I know he's had some success in the Majors, even with the Pirates, but in today's game against the Reds, Jeff Karstens was almost unbearable to watch. Granted, many a Pirate has had a worse pitching line (5 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, 1 strike out), but few have been as methodically and deliberately bad. I cringed with every pitch he threw, knowing that he had nothing that any Reds hitter couldn't at least put in play, if not drive hard. And, of course, his one strike out was of opposing pitcher Johnny Cueto, he of 4 career hits and an OPS that would make even Brandon Moss blush. I know that Karstens is better, or at least more capable, than previous number five starters the Bucs have sent out there; the names Morris, Van Benschoten and Vogelsong immediately come to mind. I was just hoping for more today, since this was only the Pirates' second televised game of the year here in Indiana. The other was also a loss, though far less dreary (Harang shutting out the Pirates 2-0, while Snell pitched pretty well).

Aside from Karstens, the Bucs' offense did next to nothing today, in the 5-0 loss. Though, to be fair, much of that had to do with Cueto, who pitched brilliantly. After getting roughed up by the Bucs a few weeks ago in Cincinnati (and in my presence), he held the Pirates to 4 singles and a walk in 8 innings, striking out 9. He mixed speeds and locations well, and the Pirate hitters were constantly off balance. Aside from not being able to adjust to Cueto's pitching, the only blatant blemish for the offense today was Nyjer Morgan breaking for second way too early and getting thrown out by an alert Cueto. This is the second time I've seen this happen in the two televised games I've watched this year, and I find it a little distressing. I've always been a Nyjer supporter, and I'm incredibly pleased with his performance this year, but getting picked off like that is very aggravating.

Oh, I suppose another area of concern for the offense is the play of Brian Bixler. Though he did have a clutch hit last weekend in San Diego, he still looks as over matched as he did last year, when he struggled with a .157 average and 36 strike outs in 108 at bats, while primarily filling in for Jack Wilson. Speaking of which, it's looking more and more like it's a bit too soon to anoint Bixler as Wilson's heir. Jack's no slugger, but he can put the ball in play and provide solid to spectacular defense. If his asking price for 2010 is low enough, I think the Bucs' management should seriously consider keeping him around another year.

Another bonus today (for me) was seeing Evan Meek pitch. I hadn't seen him yet this year and I'm not too sure I saw him at all last year. Meek pitched the 6th, 7th and 8th to help minimize the usage of the Bucs' pen in this fairly one-sided affair. And Meek looked pretty good out there, though compared to Karstens fumbling his way through 5 excruciating innings, Meek was a regular Greg Maddux. Also, Jesse Chavez saw some action in this one, pitching a scoreless ninth. Chavez has been a very pleasant surprise, out pitching most all Pirate relievers. He's probably getting closer to supplanting Tyler Yates as the top right handed set up man, which at this point, I fully support.

Up next is a quick little two game series against the Brewers. As everyone knows, the Pirates have lost an obscene number of consecutive games to the Brewers overall (plus an equally obscene number at Miller Park, though these 2 are in Pittsburgh). The match ups for this pair of games are Paul Maholm against Yovani Gallardo on Monday and Ian Snell versus Jeff Suppan on Tuesday. I have nothing too insightful to add here. Clearly the Pirates need some wins in general if they are to stay competitive early in the season here. Also, it would be a huge relief to the team, and us fans, to break this Brewer streak.

Pirates Score, And Win!

2009-05-02T22:10:00.003-04:00

Though it's been less than a week, tonight's Pirates' win over Cincinnati feels like the first victory in such a long time. It felt excruciating to watch, even on Game Cast. Grabow allowing the run in the 8th and Matt Capps, out of action for 8 days, giving up hit after hit in the 9th before finally getting the bases loaded strike out to end it. Speaking of Capps, I'm not a fan of not using your closer for such a long time. Granted, the six consecutive games he did not pitch in were either losses or blowout wins. But still, you want your closer to be sharp when you need him and I think it's important to make sure he gets work, even in non-traditional situations. This past week marks the second time this season that Capps has been on the bench for a full week. And the rust certainly showed tonight.

Anyway, regardless of how ugly the win was, a win is a win and the Bucs definitely needed this one. And now, the Pirates are tied for second once again, with a chance to win this series against the Reds. I'm never excited when Jeff Karstens is the starting pitcher, but he could be due for a decent game tomorrow. Johnny Cueto is pitching for the Reds and the Bucs have already beaten him this year, so it could happen. Hopefully, with this messy win, the Pirates can put their mini-slump behind them and start playing some good baseball again. With the hated Brewers in town for two starting Monday, it would be nice to have some positive momentum heading in to that series.

Minor League Recap: April

2009-05-01T16:57:00.002-04:00

Indianapolis Indians (AAA): Of course, it's all about Andrew McCutchen. He has gotten off to a pretty solid start this year, hitting .282, with 11 extra-base-hits, 17 runs scored and 4 steals. He will be in Pittsburgh this year. It's just a matter of when. I'm guessing not until there's not enough games left in the season to make him eligible to be a Super-2 player in arbitration in 3 years. It sounds petty, but whatever.

Other potential Pirates of the future include Brian Bixler (currently filling in for Jack Wilson) hitting .327 with 8 RBIs for the Indians. Shelby Ford is hitting .208 with a homer and 4 RBIs, and no walks. (What happened to the Pirate fans that were calling for Freddy Sanchez to get traded so Ford could take over?) Steve Pearce is hitting .246 with 3 homers and 14 RBIs, but I bet he's looking at a major league career as a 4th or 5th outfielder/first baseman at this point. And Neil Walker is only hitting .205, though he does have 3 homers and 12 RBIs.

Pitching wise, Tom Gorzelanny is doing pretty well, aside from the walks (11 in 22 innings) which has not helped his 4.91 ERA. I'm still hoping he can get things straightened out some day. Daniel McCutchen has done pretty well (3.74 ERA), though he's also a bit high on the walks (10 in 21 2/3). I'm not sure if the team has high hopes for Virgil Vasquez, but at least he can throw strikes (4 walks in 22 2/3).

Altoona Curve (AA): The most notable player for the Curve, Jose Tabata, is out 4 to 6 weeks with a hamstring injury. With his mysterious wife stealing babies and now this (plus Tabata's .250 BA with no home runs prior to the injury), it's been a rough year for him.

Second baseman Jim Negrych is off to a hot start, hitting .373, with twice as many walks as strike outs. A couple of notable pitchers are in Altoona are '06 1st round pick Brad Lincoln and '07 first rounder Danny Moskos. Lincoln has a 4.26 ERA in 19 innings, but his 16:6 strike out to walk ratio is impressive. Moskos has a 5.94 ERA in 16 2/3 innings, with 8 walks and 8 strike outs.

Lynchburg Hillcats (High A): Pedro Alvarez has been a little inconsistent so far. He's had a number of clutch hits, but also some serious droughts. His average is currently .219, but he has drawn 15 walks already. He's also struck out 22 times and committed 7 errors at third. His 4 homers and 20 RBIs are nice though.

Jordy Mercer (SS) has done pretty well so far. He's hitting .246 with 2 homers and 13 RBIs, but he also has 7 doubles and 2 steals. He's probably not much more advanced than Chase D'Arnaud (at Low A) but they may always be playing a level apart so both can play short.

West Virginia Power (Low A): Speaking of Chase, he's hitting quite well so far, with an average of .355, with 2 homers, 12 RBIs and 4 steals. Young Robbie Grossman is getting some hits, but the 25 strike outs in 69 at bats doesn't look too hot. Another '08 draftee, Calvin Anderson is hitting quite well. His average is .318 and he's hit 3 homers to go along with 13 RBIs.

One Month In

2009-05-01T16:30:00.002-04:00

Here we are, one month into the 2009 season, and the Pirates are 11-10, tied with Cincinnati for third in the NL Central. Before the season began, I would have been pretty pleased if you told me that's where Pittsburgh will be on May 1, but after the sweep in Milwaukee to close out the April schedule, 11-10 almost seems disappointing. But all things considered, I am happy about the way the team has played, and even the games against the Brewers were close. I'm not sure the Bucs can keep up this pace for the full season, but they could remain in the middle of the division, provided some other teams continue to struggle. And with Nate McLouth scheduled to return to the lineup tonight against the Reds, I'm hopeful that the team can put the Milwaukee series behind it.

There's been a lot to like about the team as a whole this season. The Pirates currently lead the majors in ERA, with a mark of 3.41. Of course, last year the team was 28th, and since most of the staff this year was here last year, at least some credit must be given to new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan.

The Pirates defense has shown considerable improvement this year too. Bucs Dugout offers some details on the Pirates' first place Defensive Efficiency ranking from Baseball Prospectus. I am a fan of the newer wave of defensive statistics, I just don't know enough about them to add anything here. For the old-schoolers, the Pirates currently rank 9th in the MLB in fielding percentage, so any way you slice it, the Bucs are definitely improved in that department.

As for the offense, the team batting average of .264, currently ranks 15 (last year, .258, 22nd) and the Pirates have scored 4.81 runs per game this year, versus 4.54 in '08. Last year's team, of course, had Jason Bay and Xavier Nady for nearly 4 months and this year's has been missing Ryan Doumit for 9 games and Nate McLouth for the past 6. Clearly, as a unit, the offense has been more productive from top to bottom. And because a decent amount of this has been done without two of the Bucs' top hitters, I'm a little optimistic that it can continue. The pitching? Not at the level it has, but better than last year, easily. The defense? Maybe.

My April Awards:
Offensive Player: Freddy Sanchez
Starting Pitcher: Zach Duke
Relief Pitcher: John Grabow

Series Finale in Milwaukee a Watershed Game

2009-04-29T10:41:00.002-04:00

The Pirates wrap up their first month of the season with the final game of this 3 game series in Milwaukee. After losing the first two, with Jeff Karstens struggling a bit in the opener and the bullpen (particularly Tyler Yates) giving the game away in the 8th and Paul Maholm not able to hold a 4 run lead last night, the Pirates have now lost 14 consecutive games to the Brewers and 17 straight in Miller Park. Ian Snell takes this hill this afternoon, hoping to lead the Bucs to a very much needed win.

This game today feels a little extra significant to me. Not that one game in April can decide a season, but I think today's might be a bit of an indicator as to whether the Pirates can maintain their strong start.

A loss, and the Pirates fall to 11-10. It would be yet another loss to the Brewers, just like last year. The Bucs would limp into May, coming off a 2-4 road trip, and tied with the Brewers in the division, heading into a tough stretch in the schedule, with the Reds, these Brewers again, Cardinals and Mets being the opponents for the next 13 games.

But a win today would propel the Pirates into the next month with a record of 12-9, which sounds a lot better than the alternative. The Bucs would have broken two significant losing streaks and knocked the Brewers a little further back in the standings. The Pirates would head into a short home stand with a little momentum. And maybe, just maybe, Nate McLouth would return Friday.

Okay, so McLouth might return Friday anyway. But still, it does feel to me that this game will set the tone for the coming weeks of the season. And Ian Snell does actually have good numbers against the Brewers. In 5 career starts, Snell is 4-1 with a 2.38 ERA and 32 strike outs in 34 innings. I knew he had a winning record against them, but I did not realize his numbers were that good. Of course he's facing Yovani Gallardo, the Brewers only legitimately good pitcher. And Gallardo has pretty good numbers against the Bucs, which I won't print here, so our spirits can remain high.

Pirates Look to Exorcise Another Demon

2009-04-27T18:20:00.002-04:00

So far this young season, on their way to an 11-7 start, the Pittsburgh Pirates have received excellent starting pitching, good relief pitching, clutch hitting and solid defense. The Bucs rarely have 2 of these going at the same time, so having all 4 certainly explains their start. Well, if the Pirates' odds-defying season is to continue, they must start beating the Brewers.

In 2008, the Pirates lost 14 of their 15 games against the Brewers, including all played in Milwaukee. The Bucs also lost 10 of 16 in '07. Speaking of just the previous 2 seasons, the dominance by the Brewers, along with an 11-22 record against the Cubs and the decade-plus-long struggle in Inter-League play, has been a key contributor to the Bucs' awful win-loss records. Taking at least 2 of 3 this week in Milwaukee would be nice. The Brewers, who got off to a slow start this year, have been playing much better of late. However, the Marlins were the hottest team in baseball one week ago until they visited Pittsburgh, so...

In other news: The comic strip Mallard Fillmore look at jab at the Pirates today. See it for yourself. I'm not a fan of this strip; it's like a quieter version of Lewis Black, or a less (ironically) funny version of Andy Rooney. Anyway, it's also not very timely, since the Pirates currently reside in second place and are off to their best start in 9 years. Plus, if you're three years behind Jay Leno, of all people, with your jokes, maybe humor's not your thing.

Jack Wilson Joins His Pals Doumit and Hansen on DL

2009-04-26T09:58:00.002-04:00

Shortstop Jack Wilson's sore middle finger apparently is not healing too quickly, and with Nate McLouth resting his oblique, the Pirates are essentially playing with a 3 man bench. So, today the Bucs placed Wilson on the 15 Day Disabled List and recalled Brian Bixler from AAA-Indianapolis. I would expect Bixler to get the majority of the starts at short, rather than Ramon Vazquez. Bixler played pretty horribly for Pittsburgh last year, but he impressed in Spring Training, so hopefully that will carry over.

Though maybe it doesn't really matter who's in the starting lineup, since the Pirates crushed the Padres last night 10-2, without the services of Wilson, McLouth or Ryan Doumit. Zach Duke dominated on the mound and the Pirates' offense was relentless. 5 different players had at least 2 hits and 6 different players drove in at least 1 run. The Pirates go for the series win this afternoon. It'll be Ross Ohlendorf versus Jake Peavy.

Meek Gets the Call

2009-04-25T18:27:00.002-04:00

Reliever Evan Meek was recalled from AAA today to take the roster spot of Craig Hansen, who was placed on the 15-day Disabled List. I'm happy for Meek since he pitched great this Spring and only missed out on the Opening Day Roster due to illness, and a bit of a tired arm. With Jesse Chavez pitching better than expected, I wasn't sure when, or if, Meek would get called up. Hansen has neck spasms, which might be code for "We'd rather have Meek active right now." I really don't know the severity of the neck spasms, so I'm just speculating.

In other injury news, Nate McLouth is out of the lineup again tonight, with his strained oblique. I think the Bucs are just being cautious with him and he'll probably be back Monday in Milwaukee, if not tomorrow.

Pirates' Late West Coast Loss Affects My Sleep

2009-04-25T13:42:00.002-04:00

The Pirates played their first Pacific Time Zone night game since my move to the Eastern Time Zone, and apparently I am incapable of falling asleep while the Pirates are playing. The 11-inning game ended around 1:40 am locally, and I stayed up until the end, following along on GameCast, which is kind of a sad way to "watch" a game. I do actually prefer the ESPN one, versus the MLB one, because it retains a little drama. Though I do like MLB's pitch analysis, when a ball is put in play, they suck the few split seconds of excitement out of the game cast with their "In Play, Out(s)" or "In Play, Run(s)" statements. ESPN shows the little white dot head from the mound to the plate and then back to the field. What will happen next? A hit? An Out? I can't wait to find out! It's so exciting!

Anyway, the game itself was obviously disappointing, as Ian Snell struggled with his command, walking 5 and allowing 3 runs in 5 innings. The Pirates scored 2 runs to tie it up in the top of the sixth and I started to get the feel that some '09 Pirate magic was about to unfold. The bullpen held the Padres in check for a number of innings and the Bucs looked like they were about to get something going in the ninth, as Nyjer Morgan led off with an infield single. But after Jack Wilson couldn't get the sacrifice down and Morgan was picked off first, the game was starting to look like a vintage '93-'08 Pirate affair. Matt Capps, he of the impeccable control, walked 2 in the 11th prior to Brian Giles game-winning hit, giving the Padres a 4-3 win.

The Bucs were without Nate McLouth, who sat out with an oblique strain. Thankfully, it's not considered to be too serious. On the bright side, the bullpen pitched very well, aside from Capps, and Lil' LaRoche extended his hitting streak to 8 games, during which he's hitting .357.

It's another late one in San Diego tonight. And it's the big Bounce-Back game for Zach Duke. Right? Who's with me?

Marlins Claim Davidson, And Other News

2009-04-24T15:54:00.003-04:00

Pitcher Dave Davidson, whom the Pirates placed on waivers last week to make room for Delwyn Young, was claimed today by the Florida Marlins, reports the PBC Blog. Davidson, who played for Team Canada in the WBC, appeared in only 9 games in AAA, 3 this season, in parts of seven seasons in the Pirates' system. His numbers weren't bad, but he probably would never have been more than an average middle- or long-reliever. Not a huge loss, though the Pirates still do have to send 2 players (or possibly cash) to the Dodgers to complete the Young deal, so hopefully Young will pay off.

The Bucs start a three game series tonight in San Diego, as I try to adjust to the Eastern Time Zone for baseball games. It still seems odd to me that games can start at 10pm here. Anyway, I'm hopeful Pittsburgh can continue their recent strong play and at least take 2 of 3 from the Padres. San Diego got off to a surprisingly good start this year, before struggling a little lately. Fortunately for the Pirates, Chris Young will not be pitching for San Diego. Young is a notorious Pirate killer. In 5 starts over the past three seasons, Young is 4-0 against Pittsburgh, with an ERA of 1.51, allowing only 17 hits in 35 2/3 innings. The Pirates will face longtime Giant Kevin Correia, former National Shawn Hill, and ace Jake Peavy, who is actually about as tough on the Bucs as is Chris Young. But Peavy has been hittable this year, so you never know. The Bucs are starting Ian Snell, Zach Duke and Ross Ohlendorf. I'm very curious to see how Duke follows up his horrible start against Atlanta last weekend. Hopefully, that was just an aberration.

Adam "Mr. April" LaRoche Update: Let's take another look at how his stats this year compare to his previous 2 seasons in Pittsburgh (each through 15 games the team has played):

2007: .100 AVG, 2 HRs, 5 RBIs, .490 OPS
2008: .143 AVG, 1 HR, 3 RBIs, .472 OPS
2009: .304 AVG, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs, .939 OPS

Clearly better numbers this year, but if we look a little further, we see that LaRoche has struck out once every 4 plate appearances this year. Though not exactly impressive, in 2008 he struck out once every 3.36 PAs, and in 2007, once every 3. A noticeable improvement. However, this year LaRoche has walked once every 15 PAs, versus once every 9.4 PAs in '08 and once every 6.67 PAs in '07. (Note: I am just comparing the first 15 games for each of these years.) So, is LaRoche hitting better because he's being more aggressive, or is he being more aggressive because he's hitting well?

Break Up The Pirates!

2009-04-22T18:56:00.002-04:00

After today's 7-4 win over the Marlins, the mighty Pittsburgh Pirates sit at 9-6, which is the Pirate equivalent of being undefeated. This is the Bucs' best start, through 15 games, since 2002, when they were 10-5, and on their way to 12-5, before the wheels fell off and they ended up 72-89 for the year. Here a quick look at the Pirates' records through 15 games each season since PNC Park opened:

2001: 6-9
2002: 10-5
2003: 8-7
2004: 7-8
2005: 4-11
2006: 4-11
2007: 6-9
2008: 7-8

As we all know, the Pirates ended up with a losing record in each of these seasons so I'm trying not to get too excited by their start this year. But one aspect of the Bucs' impressive start that I am feeling good about is the way they're winning games. For the most part, the Pirates look like a legitimately good team. They're playing fundamentally well, with good base running and clutch hitting. Their starting pitching has been excellent, which in turn means the bullpen has not been overused, resulting in effective relief work. It seems that in previous seasons, whenever the Pirates would put together a winning stretch, many of their victories would be of the scrappy, come-from-behind variety. Which is nice, don't get me wrong, but the Pirates of 2009 seem to finally be playing as if they expect to win. Not in an arrogant way; just confident. Maybe this "confident" start will turn into a "diffident" stretch at some point, and the losses will begin to outnumber the wins. Actually, it will probably happen. But for now, I'm just gonna enjoy the ride.

Bad News, Pirate Fans: Doumit Out With Broken Wrist

2009-04-21T17:01:00.000-04:00

Our worst fears were realized this afternoon as it was announced that catcher Ryan Doumit will miss 8-10 weeks after having surgery on his injured right wrist.

Here's the report from the official site.

And here's a little more info from the PBC Blog.

What this means is that the tandem of Jason Jaramillo and Robinzon Diaz will share catching duties until roughly the All Star Break. Jaramillo has looked pretty decent so far this year in his limited playing time, and Diaz had a very nice Spring, at least with the bat. Neither will come close to matching Doumit's offensive capabilities, but they should both be adequate. Unfortunately, there's just not a whole lot of power in this lineup to begin with and now we're looking at the Pirates having a pretty weak bottom half of the order, with Andy LaRoche, Jack Wilson and whichever catcher occupying the 6 through 8 spots. Actually, the five spot's not too great either, with Brandon Moss or Craig Monroe sharing that.

I doubt a trade will be made for an experienced catcher, other than possibly to fill in at Indianapolis. There's no need to panic too much in this situation and there's probably not too many catchers available that are much better than Jaramillo or Diaz.

Maybe the most discouraging aspect here is that this is yet another injury for Doumit. He misses time every year with various injuries. There's no reason to think that it won't happen next year too. He's a tremendous hitter and he's improving behind the plate a bit, but it might be time for the Bucs' brass to start thinking about a new long-term option at catcher.

Bucs Blank Fish

2009-04-20T22:14:00.000-04:00

The hottest team in all of baseball comes to town and get dominated by Ross Ohlendorf? Hard to believe, but it happened. Ohlendorf held the Marlins to 2 hits over 7 scoreless innings in the Pirates' 8-0. This was the Bucs' fourth shutout in 13 games this season, and also their fourth win by a margin of 7 or more runs. So far, when the Pirates are on, they're very on. For a little comparison, the Pirates' 4th win by seven or more runs last season occurred on May 2. Their 4th shutout, August 1.

Due to the very light night of MLB action, including a couple of rain outs, the Pirates did get some decent coverage on the MLB Network's recap show. They even had Mr. Ohlendorf himself on the phone talking about his start. However, Mitch Williams tried to offer some insight on the Bucs' "anonymous" rotation, saying something like "the rotation is having success now because nobody around the league has seem them yet. Things could change once teams face these pitchers 2 or 3 times." Sure, for Ohlendorf, but Maholm, Snell and Duke have about 100 career starts each. Mitch Williams is an idiot. He adds nothing to their show, and I'm not just saying that to protect my Pirates. Luckily Harold Reynolds is there too, to add a little sanity to the proceedings.

So anyway, we've got Jeff Karstens pitching Tuesday night against Anibal Sanchez. I really have no idea what to expect at this point.

Duke Shelled; Braves Avoid Sweep

2009-04-19T17:19:00.000-04:00

Count me among those feeling a little overconfident after the Pirates shut out the Braves over the first two games of this series. A nice 3-0 win on Friday, led by a solid Paul Maholm start, and a 10-0 beat down on Saturday, with Ian Snell pitching well and Craig Monroe jacking a pair of three-run homers. I figured red-hot Zach Duke could keep it up against this weak Braves lineup. I was sorely mistaken. Today, Duke had what would have been considered a bad start for him in '07, the nadir of his career. Duke allowed 6 runs and 12 hits in 6 innings. He was even helped out by 2 double plays and a couple of base running errors by the Braves, so it could have been worse. The final score, after Craig Hansen and Donnie Veal relieved, was 11-1. Ugly.

I'd be hard pressed to come up with any positives from this game. Let me think...Um, no injuries occurred. And all 13 position players entered the game. Delwyn Young got another at bat and played some center field. Andy LaRoche now has a 4 game hitting streak, which ties his Pirate high from his one hot streak last year. So, yeah. Not much. And now the 11-1 Florida Marlins come to town for three games. Eep.

Duke and Maholm and Three in the Loss Column?

2009-04-18T09:45:00.000-04:00

That phrase was mentioned by someone, I think it was in a Post-Gazette Q&A, around the end of the 2005 season, the season in which Zach Duke and Paul Maholm made their terrific debuts and made Pirate fans giddy with excitement, at least for the top 2 spots in the rotation. A number of different variations of this phrase were offered, but this was the most memorable. Perhaps the best of its kind since "Burkett and Swift and pray for a snow drift." Anyway, the 2006 through 2008 seasons made the phrase quickly fade from memory, primarily due to Duke, though both pitchers struggled in '06, and at least in parts of '07.

However, here we are, 10 games into the 2009 season and the Pirates stand at 5-5. The starting pitchers for the 5 wins: Duke and Maholm. And for the five losses: the other 3 starters. Okay, that's hardly fair, since Ian Snell pitched pretty well last Sunday in Cincinnati and Ross Ohlendorf's first start, last week in St. Louis, was decent. I don't actually expect this trend to continue. I'm sure Duke and Maholm will lose games this year. Snell and Ohlendorf will win some games. And Jeff Karstens, well...he'll try really hard.

It's funny looking back on 2005, and how so many Pirate fans were filled with optimism for these two young starters. Little did we know then that we were to endure three more losing seasons, during which our two young phenoms struggled at times, to reach this point: A young Pirates team, led by two kind-of-young hurlers. I'm not saying history's repeating itself, it's just that I think where the Pirates are now is where we thought they were going to be in '06, fighting their way toward respectability behind some solid young starting pitching.

Delwyn Young Joins the 25-Man Roster

2009-04-17T15:23:00.000-04:00

The PBC Blog reports that the Pirates have optioned Luis Cruz to AAA to make room for newly acquired Delwyn Young on the active roster. Young has primarily played in the outfield the past 3 or 4 years (including time in the majors as well as the minors), at least partly due to his shaky defense at second base, which was his original position. Because of this, I thought, initially, that this would mean the end of Craig Monroe. I mean, that would make more sense in terms of the overall balance of the big league roster, since Ramon Vazquez would be the only legitimate reserve infielder. But one thing I didn't consider, which I should have, is that the Bucs' current management team puts at least as much focus on the strength of the 40 man roster, and the entire organization in general, as they do on the 25 man active roster. By designating Dave Davidson for assignment, thus clearing a spot for Young on the 40 man, the Pirates risked losing a player who has marginal upside and who may even clear waivers and rejoin the AAA roster. This way, the Pirates can add Young without sacrificing a current player (This is aside from the 2 players to be named later, or cash, owed to the Dodgers). Now, the Pirates can just option Cruz, clearing a spot on the 25 for Young, and, for the time being at least, improve the strength and depth of their top 2 levels. The Big League club now has a little more offense, though a bit less defense and flexibility. However, with Brian Bixler and now Cruz available in AAA, should an injury occur to Jack Wilson or Freddy Sanchez, the Pirates have at least 2 major league ready substitutes.

Back End of Rotation Exposed, As Pirates Lose First Series of Year

2009-04-16T18:06:00.000-04:00

Starting pitching was the Achilles' heel of the 2008 Pirates, but through seven games this year it was looking like a strength. Unfortunately, that was because Jeff Karstens had not yet pitched. Karstens got the nod today in the final game of a three game series against Houston, with the teams having split the first two. Zach Duke was brilliant on Monday, as the Bucs won 7-0. Ross Ohlendorf, not so good on Wednesday, as the Astros won. Today, Karstens showed his rust as he struggled through 4 innings, allowing 3 runs, 4 hits and 5 walks. This forced the Pirates to use their bullpen for 5 innings, a day after needing 4 innings from the 'pen, and Sean Burnett gave up a tie-breaking 3-run homer to Lance Berkman, as the Astros held on for a 6-3 win. The Pirates now sit at 4-5.

There were some positives in this game though. Nyjer Morgan continued his hot start with 3 hits, including a double and a triple. Andy LaRoche recorded his very first hit of the year, though he did ground into a double play to end the eighth. Hopefully with the first one out of the way, Andy can relax and get it going a bit. Speaking of LaRoches, big brother Adam continued his nice start to the year with 2 doubles. He's currently hitting .294, which is Hornsby-esque for LaRoche this month. Also, Jason Jaramillo made his big league debut, spelling Ryan Doumit for the day. Jaramillo collected his very first hit in the fourth but, unfortunately, was 0-2 throwing out would-be base stealers. The Braves come into town tomorrow for three games, and the timing might work out for the Bucs as Chipper Jones is nursing a sore thumb and may miss some of the series.

Just for fun, here's a little look at how Adam LaRoche has fared through 9 games each of his three seasons with Pittsburgh:

2007: .097 BA, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, .426 OPS
2008: .129 BA, 1 HR, 2 RBIs, .487 OPS
2009: .294 BA, 3 HR, 6 RBIs, .961 OPS

Okay, now that I've officially jinxed him...

Rumors of Freddy Sanchez's Demise Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

2009-04-15T16:57:00.000-04:00

With today's acquisition of outfielder Delwyn Young from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the PBC Blog's report that Neal Huntington wishes to try him at second, this got me thinking about the future of incumbent second baseman Freddy Sanchez. Now, I don't know if the Pirates want to play Young at second to possibly groom him to replace Sanchez, or to just expand the number of positions he could play, thus increasing the likelihood of working his bat into the lineup more. I'm hoping for the latter since I don't think Sanchez should be leaving town any time soon.

Sanchez signed a two year deal prior to the 2008 season. The deal also calls for an option year for the 2010 season. The Pirates can choose to exercise this on their own accord or it could automatically kick in if Sanchez reaches 635 plate appearances or 600 PA's with an All-Star selection. The dollar figure for that 2010 option year would be between $8 and $8.5 million, depending on incentives reached. Now, $8 million seems like a good chunk of change for the thrifty Pirates to spend on one player, but if you factor in impending raises for the likes of McLouth, Doumit, Maholm, Snell and Duke, the Pirates' 2010 payroll should be comparable to this years'. Now, I am also assuming that Adam LaRoche and John Grabow will be gone, and if Jack Wilson returns, it will certainly be at a substantial pay cut. So, I don't think money, at least the total amount of it, should be an issue.

Sanchez's production last season has caused many Pirate fans to give up on him. I've seen on numerous Pirate blogs and message boards that fans everywhere are already looking ahead to having Shelby Ford at second. Now, Ford might end up being a decent player, but I don't get how he can be anointed so soon, and so easily. The 24-year-old Ford spent last season at AA and is currently the starting second baseman for AAA Indianapolis. He looks to be a solid contact hitter with some base stealing ability, though, statistically at least, he doesn't appear to much different than Warren Morris. I'm hoping for greater things from Ford, but let's not get too excited about him just yet. And Young, well, he is certainly Sanchez's inferior with the glove, and maybe even with the bat.

But back to Sanchez's production. Last year, he had his worst overall season since 2004. Struggling with a shoulder injury, Sanchez hit just .226 prior to the All-Star Break. Afterwards, however, Sanchez was among the league leaders with an average of .346. That, coupled with his solid '07 season (.304, 81 RBIs) and standout '06 campaign (.344, 85 RBIs), lead me to believe that Freddy Sanchez is still a superb hitter. 3 bad months does not mean that he's washed up. And, though it's only been 7 games, Sanchez is hitting .375 with 6 doubles this year. Why look to replace a very good hitting, and solid fielding, second baseman when you don't have to.

But it's not just that I'm worried team management is thinking along these lines, it's the fans I don't get. We're the fans, people. It's not our job to worry about money. We don't need to take the GM mindset while planning for the future of the Pirates. Have years of the Pirates dumping star players caused us to take up a defensive position, to protect ourselves from the shock and heartbreak of losing a favorite player, so much so that we're got to pine for the Shelby Fords of the world? I seriously hope not.

My job as a fan is to cheer for the Pirates and hope that the team does whatever it can to produce a winner. And this year, at least, Freddy Sanchez is the best option at second base. Next year? Well, based on who's currently in the system, it's Freddy Sanchez again. So that's who I want to see at second base. If the team trades him, I'll be disappointed, but hopeful that the return is substantial. If Sanchez stays through this season, but his option isn't exercised, I'll still be disappointed, but I'll understand that it's part of the game. But Pirates fans already planning, sometimes excitedly, for life after Freddy? That I don't understand.

Pirates Trade for Delwyn Young

2009-04-15T10:25:00.000-04:00

The Pirates today acquired outfielder Delwyn Young from the LA Dodgers for 2 players to be named later. Young is out of options and will need to be added to the Pirates' active roster, which means the Pirates will have to make room for him. Unless there is already another trade in the works, I could see the Bucs parting with Craig Monroe, via his unconditional release. Monroe has seen little playing time and has no upside. Another possibility would be to send Luis Cruz to AAA and have Young take over a utility infield spot. Though that is very unlikely since Young, who was drafted as a second baseman in 2002, has not played second base regularly since 2005, while in the Dodgers' minor league system, and his great number of errors there (102 errors at 2B from 2002-05) probably mean he's in the outfield to stay.

Hopefully the Pirates did not acquire Young hoping that he develops into a quality starter, because I don't think that's going to happen. Young thrived in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, the same league that propelled Andy LaRoche to top prospect status. Neither has done anything of note in parts of a few big league seasons, though Young hasn't even been given the consistent playing time that LaRoche has. I'm not trying to say that I have a problem with this trade, or that I think Young, or even LaRoche, will be a bust. I just hope he was acquired to be a complementary piece. At the very least, Young is a step up from Craig Monroe.

We may have to wait to see what kind of 25 man roster move is made, since Young may begin his Pirates' career on the disabled list. Young had off season elbow surgery and was on a rehab assignment in the LA system at the time of the trade. However, to put Young on the 15-day DL, a change to the 40 man roster must be made. And if it's gonna be Monroe once Young's healthy, might as well make it Monroe now too.

UPDATE: The PBC Blog reports that pitcher Dave Davidson was designated for assignment, clearing room on the 40 man roster, and that the 25 man roster move won't happen until Friday. They also speculate that Luis Cruz will be the one sent down, making Young more of a general utility man than a reserve outfielder. That move would hurt the team's defense and versatility but provide a better bat off the bench.

Bucs Impressive in Home Opener

2009-04-13T18:27:00.001-04:00

The Pirates dominated the Astros today in their home opener by a final score of 7-0. Impressive were the Pirate hitters, as every starter collected at least one hit, 7 of the 14 total hits went for extra bases and the team combined to strike out twice, while drawing 5 walks. A solid, all-around performance, with stand out games by Freddy Sanchez (3 doubles, 2 runs scored) and Adam LaRoche (single, double and home run). But, that wasn't even the real story today. Zach Duke, he of the 18-37 record and 4.82 ERA from 2006-08, tossed a complete game shutout, allowing 4 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 5. Granted, this was against a seriously struggling Astros' lineup, but with 2 very good games to start the season, you can't help but wonder if the classic Duke of '05 is back. I really hope that's true, but it will definitely take more than a couple starts to make me a believer. Remember, Duke shut out the Giants last year, and no one will confuse the '08 Duke with the '05 Duke, so let's be patient. Duke's next start is scheduled for Sunday against the Braves, a team that features some pretty heavy hitters. If Duke can at least put up a quality start then, I might start thinking about getting back on board.

After seeing Saturday's game in person, I was able to catch Sunday's on FSN. It looks like the Reds are considered the home team locally, at least as far as televising games is concerned. Though the game was dominated by Aaron Harang, it was nice to see Ian Snell pitch. Aside from the first inning homer by Brandon Phillips, Snell's numbers for the game looked pretty good, and he did appear to grow stronger as the game wore on. But watching it, though Snell's stuff looked good, his command was off a bit. He missed Doumit's target a number of times, most notably to Phillips on that home run. Doumit set up just off the inside corner and Snell's pitch crossed just left of the middle of the plate. Still, it was a great rebound from his first start and I'm hopeful that Snell, like Duke, is on the right track to regaining his more dominant form from seasons past.

I also want to mention the Reds' broadcasters. They called a very fair game and offered much praise for individual Pirates. They were very impressed with Nyjer Morgan and they said Jack Wilson may be the best defensive shortstop to never win a Gold Glove. I'm assuming they meant the best current shortstop, but that's still high praise. The announcers stood out to me because I'm used to Mike Krukow's antics in the Bay Area. While I appreciate his energy and excitement for the game, most of his asides regarding the opposing teams are gross generalizations and assumptions.

Also, PEDRO WATCH '09 is up and running. In the top right hand corner of this blog is a little running statistical total for Pedro Alvarez. Even though he won't make it to Pittsburgh this year, I'm still very excited about him and I'm looking forward to following his progress all season.

A Trip to Cincinnati

2009-04-12T19:15:00.000-04:00

This weekend, my wife and I traveled to Cincinnati, primarily to see the Pirates take on the Reds, but also because we had never been there before and, frankly, we were in need of a little vacation. We arrived late afternoon Friday, during a torrential downpour, but were pleasantly surprised by the traffic, or lack thereof, in downtown Cincinnati. I realize it was a Friday, but at 5 pm, in any city, shouldn't it take more than 10 minutes, from the time we enter the city limits, to reach out hotel? Maybe we've just spent too much time in the Bay Area.

When we moved to Bloomington, Indiana a few months back, we fully expected to be charmed by the good old fashioned Midwest hospitality, but, unfortunately, Bloomington is lacking in that department. However, Cincinnati may be the friendliest place I've ever been. At our hotel, the front desk clerk accidentally checked us into the wrong room. Within 5 minutes, the very same desk clerk arrived at our door, apologized, and led us to the correct room. We ate dinner at a restaurant in the hotel that night, and our server, while a little slow with the check, was incredibly friendly. Even the employees at the coffee shop we stopped in on Saturday were nice. And strangers on the street. And a random woman we rode in the parking garage elevator with. Nice people everywhere. Weird.

Nyjer Morgan steps to the plate

The game itself was quite fun. Luckily we chose the Saturday game of this series, as Friday's was rained out and Sunday's was won by the Reds. Anyway, the game was great. Paul Maholm pitched wonderfully. Nyjer Morgan caused a lot of trouble for the Reds, reaching base 4 times and breaking up plays on the base paths. Nate McLouth, Ryan Doumit and Adam LaRoche each homered and the Pirates ended up winning 10-2.

Paul Maholm on the mound

The Reds' stadium, the Great American Ball Park, is a very nice place. It looks a lot more impressive in person than it does on television. Having never been to PNC Park, I can't imagine the same could be said for it, since it already looks spectacular on TV. But I digress. So, our seats were just on the first base side of home plate, many rows back, underneath the second deck. We still had a very good view though, but it would have been nice to be in the sun as the cool breeze became a bit much. It wasn't San Francisco cold, but it was still pretty cold.

Nate McLouth completes his home run trot

The stadium is very well laid out and very clean. Though we didn't stray from the ballpark staples of hot dogs and nachos, there did seem to be a decent selection of food. And the service here was great too. At one concession, I asked for nachos and the woman working the counter told me, "You don't want these nachos. The good ones are in an alcove down the first base line." And she was right. Also, when we first arrived, the usher showed us to our seats and wiped them down for us. WTF? At the Oakland Coliseum, the ushers spit in your seats.

Great game, great little weekend escape. Very nice introduction to Cincinnati for us. I've now seen Major League games in 6 different ballparks, and the Pirates in 5 of those. Hopefully, this summer we'll be able to shoot over to Pittsburgh to see my first ever Pirates' home game. At the very least, we'll certainly head up to Indianapolis some time to check out the Indians.

Pedro Alvarez Homers in First Pro Game

2009-04-09T21:07:00.000-04:00

Pedro Alvarez homered and drove in 4 runs in his first official professional game. Alvarez also singled and doubled tonight in Class-A Lynchburg's 6-5 win against Potomac. I know it's just one game but this is absolutely something worth getting excited, even overly, about. The Pirates don't often have a potential superstar anywhere in their system and I plan to follow Alvarez's games just as closely as the big league club's. Also of note in this game, 2008 third round pick Jordy Mercer had two hits and scored two runs.

In the show, the Pirates lost to the Cardinals 2-1 this afternoon. The Bucs managed just 1 hit off a finally healthy Chris Carpenter, spoiling a solid start by Ross Ohlendorf. The Pirates head to Cincinnati for three games beginning tomorrow, and my wife and I will be there in person for Saturday's game. It is our first visit to Cincinnati and expect to see some snapshots of the Great American Ballpark by the end of the weekend.

Pirates Bounch Back From Ugly Defeat

2009-04-08T23:15:00.000-04:00

Tuesday's 9-3 loss to the Cardinals was pretty hideous. Ian Snell got tagged for 6 earned runs and 9 hits in 4 innings. Aside from Nyjer the Great and Freddy Sanchez, pretty much no offense. Andy LaRoche even dropped a pop up. In that game, the Cardinals looked like the Cardinals and the Pirates looked like what people expect the Pirates to look like. A good team, or in the Pirates' case, a mediocre team, needs to follow up a poor showing with a good one, and that's what happened tonight.

Sanchez and Jack Wilson led a 17 hit attack with 4 hits apiece in the Bucs' 7-4 triumph. Morgan, Brandon Moss and Ryan Doumit added multi-hit games of their own as the Pirates jumped to an early 4-0 lead and were able to hold on for the win. Zach Duke made the start and pitched quite well, allowing 3 runs, 1 of which was earned, in 6 1/3 innings. I really hope this guy can put it back together this year. If he pitches half as well as he did in 2005, the Pirates just might have a decent starting rotation.

A couple areas of concern in this game though. Doumit's defense behind the plate; he had a passed ball and was called for catcher's interference. And one of the three "reliable" relief pitchers, Tyler Yates, was very shaky yet again. Yates faced three batters in the ninth, allowing 2 doubles and a walk. He was fortunate though that Joe Thurston was thrown out trying to stretch his double into a triple. Matt Capps had to come in and save the day. Hopefully Yates can get himself straightened out because the Pirates really need some dependability in the late innings.

Up next, the series finale in St. Louis on Thursday. Ross Ohlendorf makes the start for Pittsburgh. He had a great Spring and I'm hopeful that he can carry it over into the season.

Bucs Win Opener, But Temper Your Excitement

2009-04-06T23:14:00.000-04:00

Jack Wilson's 2 out, 2 strike, bases clearing double in the 9th led the Pirates to a dramatic Opening Day win over the Cardinals. Paul Maholm pitched very well and the much-maligned Nyjer Morgan had three hits and two RBIs. The Pirates left many runners on base throughout the game and relievers Tyler Yates and John Grabow allowed the Cards to break a 2-2 tie in the 8th, so this had the feeling of an sluggish, inevitable loss. But the 4 run rally in the ninth gave the Pirates their third consecutive Opening Day win, all on the road and all featuring late rallies. And in case anyone forgot, the Pirates followed each of those previous dramatic Opening Day wins with a last place finish for the season. I would love to say that that won't happen this year, and maybe it won't. But one great win does not a great season make. Opening Days feature just as many anomalies as they do truths. CC Sabathia will end up making more great starts than not. The Rangers will not always get tremendous pitching. Adam Lind will not drive in 972 runs, obviously. He won't even lead the league. Today was just one day. The Pirates' win was just one win. It was a thrilling win, but still just one win.

Why the Pirates Will Finish in Last

2009-04-05T15:32:00.002-04:00

First off, the Pirates finished in last place in 2008, with a record of 67-95, 7 full games behind the 5th place Reds, so predicting another trip to the cellar hardly seems insightful or daring. Before getting into the Pirates' deficiencies, let's take a look at the rest of the division:

Chicago Cubs: The Cubs have won this division each of the past two seasons and their roster remains relatively intact this year. Though they have a very balanced team, with strong starting pitching, a good bullpen and a number of dangerous hitters, I feel this is a team on, or at least about to be on, a decline. Most of their position players are past their best seasons and the same goes for their starting pitchers. However, in this division, at least for this year, they will have enough.

St. Louis Cardinals: Tony LaRussa's teams are almost always competitive, and with a healthy Chris Carpenter, their starting rotation should be very good. They have a good, not great, offense, led by Albert Pujols. But I think this is also a team on the decline, and they'll only finish ahead of Milwaukee because the Brewers are declining a little faster.

Milwaukee Brewers: With CC Sabathia and Ben Sheets gone, the starting rotation is led by Yovani Gallardo. While I expect Gallardo to blossom into an elite starter, it won't be enough to make up for the mediocrity in the rest of the staff. Their bullpen is questionable and their defense is pretty bad. They have some seriously dangerous sluggers, led by Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder, and some intriguing prospects on the way in Mat Gamel and Alcides Escobar, but they strike out at too severe a rate. If improved pitching doesn't arrive soon, Milwaukee could be heading back to the lower half of the division for years to come.

Cincinnati Reds: The Reds are a team on the rise. With young hitters like Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce, they have the makings of a very good offense. And their starting pitching is very solid, with Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo. If their bullpen holds up, they might be able to sneak into the playoff race, but they will at least be a force by next year.

Houston Astros: This is an old team, with some talented players who are past their prime. Aside from Hunter Pence, not one significant player on their roster in under 30. Even their top two pitchers, Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez are over 30. They're a veteran team that is still capable of winning their share of games, but Father Time catches up this year.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Much has been made about the fact that the Pirates' 2008 record of 67-95 ended with a 17-37 finish after the trades of Xavier Nady, Damaso Marte and Jason Bay. And that Pirate team that lost 37 of their final 54 games last year is essentially the same group opening the 2009 season for the Bucs. That is true, but it would be foolish to suggest that the team will play to the same winning percentage this year. Aside from the positions vacated by the three aforementioned players, the Pirates could very well see improvement everywhere else.

Catcher: Ryan Doumit shined in his first semi-healthy season. If he can remain healthy this year, there is no reason to believe that his production would drop. And the backup catcher, Jason Jaramillo for now, is an upgrade over Ronny Paulino, at least defensively.

First Base: Adam LaRoche is back, ready to suck for 2 months before turning into a solid hitter. Though that trend continued last year, LaRoche did miss some time in August and really didn't hit as well in the second half as he usually does. If he can get off to a better start...Nah, who am I kidding? Expect 1B production this year to mirror last year's.

Second Base: Freddy Sanchez struggled through a shoulder injury last year and, though he didn't admit it, his hitting was affected. Sanchez did rebound to hit .340 after the All Star Break. Though I don't expect him to hit that high for this season, he certainly should improve upon his .271 average from a year ago.

Shortstop: Jack Wilson suffered through injuries last year, and his periodic replacement, Brian Bixler, was atrocious. Bixler looked much better in camp this year, so if Wilson goes down again, the drop off should not be as significant. Either way, it has to be better than last year.

Third Base: Andy LaRoche, who arrived in the Bay trade, looked over matched at the plate and in the field in 2008. Prior to his arrival, third base was occupied by Jose Bautista, Doug Mientkiewicz and Luis Rivas. None of which were outstanding, by any means. If LaRoche can play a little more comfortably, and prove his minor league offensive numbers were legitimate, the Pirates could maybe be average at third.

Left Field: Nyjer Morgan replaces Jason Bay. Expect more steals, little else. I do like Nyjer, not as a long term solution, but as a 4th or 5th outfielder or trade bait. But his production will be dwarfed by Bay's from '08.

Center Field: Nate McLouth was the Pirates' breakout star in 2008. Taking advantage of the playing time that Jim Tracy didn't offer, McLouth was an All-Star, he surpassed 20 home runs and 20 steals, and he won (thanks to the notoriety his offense provided) a Gold Glove. I don't see any reason why McLouth couldn't produce just as well this year.

Right Field: Brandon Moss might end up being as good a hitter as Nady, but I doubt we'll see him accomplish that this year. Probably not even close.

Bullpen: This year's bullpen should be worse than last. Matt Capps, John Grabow and Tyler Yates could be just as good this year as last, but aside from them, it's pretty questionable. And with 3 of the other 4 stuck on the active roster (due to player options and Rule 5 status), there is little room to make changes.

Starting Pitching: What was clearly the team's weakest point a year ago looks a little stronger today. Though all 5 starters (Paul Maholm, Ian Snell, Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf, and Jeff Karstens) made starts last year, and therefore contributed to the league worst team ERA of 5.08, the absence of other dreadful pitchers, and the presence of suitable fill-ins in AAA, makes me feel a little more optimistic this year. Even is you were to discount the performances of John Van Benschoten, Yoslan Herrera and Matt Morris, the Pirates' team ERA would have been 4.86, still last in the National League. But I do feel that Ian Snell will bounce back this year and Zach Duke may show some improvement too. And with 5 capable starters available at AAA, should the need arise, there shouldn't be much of a drop off in performance.

Though I think the Pirates' final record for this year will be closer to their final record from last year than to their post-trade record, it will still not be enough to climb in the standings. My goal for the team is 75 wins. Though that might be a reach, I still feel this will be a competitive team and, coupled with the decline of their division mates, a fourth or fifth place finish in 2010 is well within reach.

2009 MLB Predictions

2009-04-05T10:07:00.000-04:00

Every year, I write down my predictions for the final standings and the postseason. Usually it's on a scrap of paper, and maybe I show it to a fellow baseball fan at work. Or maybe I'll email it to a friend. That's it, nothing too official. Well last year, I picked the Phillies to reach the World Series (and lose to Cleveland) but, of course, where's the proof? Well this year, I am documenting it for the world to see. (Author's note: The entire world is, in fact, capable of seeing this, even if only three people will read it.) May I present to you, my predictions for the 2009 Major League Baseball season:

American League
(Standings listed in order of finish, * denotes Wild Card)
East:
Tampa Bay Rays
Boston Red Sox *
New York Yankees
Toronto Blue Jays
Baltimore Orioles

Central:
Cleveland Indians
Minnesota Twins
Kansas City Royals
Chicago White Sox
Detroit Tigers

West:
Los Angeles Angels
Texas Rangers
Oakland Athletics
Seattle Mariners

Most Valuable Player: Grady Sizemore, Cleveland
Cy Young: Francisco Liriano, Minnesota
Rookie of the Year: Travis Snider, Toronto
Manager of the Year: Ron Washington, Texas

National League
East:
Philadelphia Phillies
New York Mets *
Atlanta Braves
Florida Marlins
Washington Nationals

Central:
Chicago Cubs
St Louis Cardinals
Milwaukee Brewers
Cincinnati Reds
Houston Astros
Pittsburgh Pirates

West:
Los Angeles Dodgers
Arizona Diamondbacks
San Francisco Giants
Colorado Rockies
San Diego Padres

Most Valuable Player: Manny Ramirez, Los Angeles
Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco
Rookie of the Year: Jordan Schafer, Atlanta
Manager of the Year: Charlie Manuel, Philadelphia

Post-Season:
Tampa Bay d. Los Angeles Angels
Cleveland d. Boston
Tampa Bay d. Cleveland

Chicago Cubs d. Philadelphia
Los Angeles Dodgers d. New York
Los Angeles Dodgers d. Chicago Cubs

World Series:
Tampa Bay Rays defeat Los Angeles Dodgers in 6 games

Pirates Finalize 2009 Opening Day Roster

2009-04-03T17:26:00.000-04:00

After placing pitcher Phil Dumatrait on the 15-day disabled list, and optioning reliever Evan Meek to AAA, the Pirates have their 25 players in place to begin the season. And they are:

Starting Pitchers: Paul Maholm, Ian Snell, Zach Duke, Ross Ohlendorf and Jeff Karstens

Relief Pitchers: Matt Capps, John Grabow, Tyler Yates, Sean Burnett, Craig Hansen, Donnie Veal and Jesse Chavez

Catchers: Ryan Doumit, Jason Jaramillo

Infielders: Adam LaRoche, Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson, Andy LaRoche, Ramon Vazquez and Luis Cruz

Outfielders: Nyjer Morgan, Nate McLouth, Brandon Moss, Eric Hinske and Craig Monroe

I'm pretty sure Meek was only sent down because he hadn't pitched in nearly 2 weeks, due to a sore shoulder, followed by the flu. Should Chavez struggle at all, Meek will be called up in no time. And with Burnett and Hansen out of minor league options, and Veal needing to remain on the big league roster or else be offered back to the Cubs, the Pirates have very little flexibility in their bullpen. They were able to work out a deal with Tampa Bay last year for Meek, who was also a Rule 5 pickup. If Veal struggles early, I'm sure management will try hard to arrange something similar.

As for the overall makeup of this year's opening roster, it is worth noting that only 12 of the 25 were on the Opening Day roster in 2008. Of the other 13, 10 are no longer in the organization. Also, the mean average age for this year's group is 27.4. Last year, it was 28, though Chris Gomez being replaced by Luis Cruz would explain that. This number will most likely drop next year, as most Pirates over 30 could be gone and the Andrew McCutchens and Jose Tabatas of the world could be here.

Pirates Clinch Winning Record (in spring training)

2009-04-02T17:43:00.000-04:00

With their 6-5 come-from-behind win today over the Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates have clinched a winning record for the 2009 Grapefuit League season. This is the Pirates' first winning Spring season since 2005, a year in which they would go on to win 67 games and finish last in the National League Central during the regular season. Honestly, I can't say that I have any memories of that Spring for the Pirates, so I don't recall if I had any feelings of optimism then, though I kind of do now. I know the Pirates don't have the talent to compete just yet, but I'm optimistic that the right pieces are getting in place and the current management team knows what they're doing. 67 wins could be in order again this year, but, with a little luck, they could win 77 next year. And that might just be good enough for 4th place. Go Bucs!

8 More Cuts Are Made; Pirates' Roster About Set

2009-04-01T10:03:00.000-04:00

The Pirates made 8 cuts this morning, leaving 27 players in the big league camp. The players cut were pitchers Virgil Vasquez, Chris Bootcheck, Denny Bautista and Jason Davis, catcher Erik Kratz, infielders Andy Phillips and Garrett Jones, and outfielder Jeff Salazar. The 27 players remaining in camp include pitcher Phil Dumatrait, who will start the season on the disabled list.

With the demotion of Vasquez, Jeff Karstens was named the team's 5th starter. Neither pitched all that well this Spring, but, as I've mentioned before, there will be much starting pitching depth at AAA, so Karstens' job is far from secure. Also, Craig Monroe has made the team as a reserve outfielder and Luis Cruz is in as a reserve infielder. The only position battle remaining is for the bullpen, where 5 players are competing for 4 spots. Sean Burnett, Donnie Veal, Jesse Chavez, Craig Hansen and Evan Meek will continue to battle. Though it may just be between Chavez and Meek because they are the only ones out of the 5 who have options remaining.

Dejan has much more information on these moves on the PBC Blog.

UPDATE: Since Monroe was a non-roster invitee, Romulo Sanchez was removed from the team's 40-man roster to clear a spot for him. Sanchez, who will be 25 later this month, has an ERA of 4.60 in 31 1/3 innings with Pittsburgh the over the past 2 seasons. Sanchez has performed fairly well in the minors and might not clear waivers, provided the Pirates don't trade or release him. The 32 year old Monroe is now the oldest player on the Pirate's 40-man roster.

Bucs Make Minor Trade; Lose Out on Ohman

2009-03-30T20:57:00.000-04:00

The Pirates today acquired minor-league left-handed reliever Shawn Nottingham from the Indians for a minor league player to be named later, reports the PBC Blog. Nottingham is 24 years old and has no experience above AA. In his minor league career, dating back to 2003, Nottingham has compiled a 4.48 ERA in 576 1/3 innings. Nothing special there. I don't really know anything about him, but I would guess that this move only improves the Pirates' depth in the minors, and maybe adds some balance to the AA roster. I don't see Nottingham having much, if any, impact in the majors, if he should ever reach that level.

Also today, the Pirates lost out on the Will Ohman sweepstakes, as Ohman agreed to a one-year minor league deal, plus an option for 2010, with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Though the Bucs had offered Ohman a major league contract, it appears that the West Coast location played into his decision, so says Dejan Kovacevic. This move is good news for Sean Burnett and Donnie Veal.

In game action, the Pirates defeated the Reds today 3-2, thanks to two out RBI singles in the 9th by Jeff Salazar and Jason Jaramillo. Ross Ohlendorf made the start and pitched well once again. In 5 1/3 innings, he allowed 1 run, 3 hits and 2 walks with 3 strike outs, raising his Spring ERA to 0.87.

Also, GM Neal Huntington shocked no one by announcing that left-hander Phil Dumatrait will start the year on the Disabled List. The estimate for his possible return to Pittsburgh is in 4 to 6 weeks.

McCutchen Sent Down

2009-03-30T10:17:00.000-04:00

Today the Pirates reassigned outfielder Andrew McCutchen and infielder Brian Bixler to the minor league camp. Though he performed superbly, and is destined to lead the Pirates to the promised land, it is not a surprise that McCutchen was sent down. The club has stated that they want him to work on some other facets of his game, and if they wait a couple of months to bring him up, that pushes back his free agency eligibility. But, fear not, Andrew McCutchen will be in Pittsburgh this year.

The Bixler move actually surprised me a bit. With Andy Phillips missing most of the Spring with a back ailment, it seemed to come down to Bixler and Luis Cruz for the second infield bench spot. Though this does seem to signify that Cruz gets that spot, the Neal Huntington quote from the PBC Blog tells us it's not firm yet. Bixler certainly outplayed Cruz this Spring, hitting .352 with 3 steals in 54 at bats to Cruz's .205 in 39 at bats. They have both been primarily shortstops throughout their minor league careers. Comparing their career stats, the only notable differences are that Bixler steals a lot more bases but Cruz is a better contact hitter. Anyway, this all could be moot, as the Pirates might just be paving the way for Colorado's Jeff Baker to be had in a trade.

Also, there's a piece at the Post-Gazette on Freddy Sanchez, and how he wants to stay in Pittsburgh too. I'm a big Freddy fan, so I'm all for this.

And for those of us who like reading about prospects that are years away, there was a story on Gift Ngoepe on the official site. Ngoepe, whom the Pirates signed last October, hopes to become the first South African to play in the majors. And he recently played for South Africa in the World Baseball Classic.

Wilson Talks Extension, and Other News

2009-03-29T15:54:00.000-04:00

The Official Site reported today that earlier this week shortstop Jack Wilson approached the Pirates about a possible contract extension. Wilson is in the final year of his current deal, though there is a team option for 2010 for $8.4 million, with a buyout of $500,000. Since Wilson has been involved in trade talks the past couple of years, and $8 mil is a bit much for the cost-conscious Pirates to pay for a light hitting middle infielder, the option is sure to be bought out. However, in his discussions, Wilson has stated that he would like to stay in Pittsburgh, and for less money than the option year would call for. Just how much less, I don't know. Also, Wilson implied that he's only asking about a 1 year extension, at least for now, since he hopes to spend much more time with his family before long, and may consider retiring as soon as after the 2010 season. So, since we're talking only a one year extension, it might be worth it. That would certainly depend on the dollar figure for that one year, and how much of a cut Wilson would be willing to take. If he'll play for $4 million or so, that's a fair deal. And it's not like Wilson is blocking any can't miss prospect at the moment. Maybe Brian Bixler can turn into a solid everyday shortstop, though, last year, he proved convincingly that he was not ready. Bixler has looked better this Spring, but I'd rather see him ease him into the starting role as a utility player. And Luis Cruz feels more like his cap could be utility player. Brian Friday, Chase D'Arnaud and Jordy Mercer are at least a couple of years away. If the money fits, I'm all for bringing Wilson back another year.

In Rule 5 News, the Pirates have taken Kyle Bloom back from the Detroit Tigers and reassigned him to AA. Bloom, a left-handed pitcher, struggled this Spring with Detroit. With the Pirates' Rule 5 pick Donnie Veal struggling a bit on his own for Pittsburgh, I'm starting to get the feeling that he might be returned to Chicago before long. By the way, Bloom is nothing special. he's a 26 year old, with a career minor league ERA of 4.25, and has never pitched above AA.

I watched the Pirates defeat Philadelphia 10-4 yesterday on the MLB Network. Ian Snell looked very good out there, aside from a rough 4th, where he allowed a mammoth home run to Ryan Howard, and followed that up with a walk and a hit batsman. Andrew McCutchen was the offensive star for the Bucs, going 5 for 5, with 3 doubles and a homer. Though the wind certainly played a factor in this game, possibly assisting McCutchen with his line, and carrying Howard's homer 500 feet. Still, it was a nice game to watch.

Pirates Cut Pearce, Diaz and Machado

2009-03-28T09:50:00.000-04:00

The PBC Blog this morning reports that the Pirates have made three more cuts, leaving 37 players remaining in camp. Outfielder Steve Pearce and catcher Robinzon Diaz were optioned to AAA, while infielder Anderson Machado was reassigned to the minor league camp. Machado really had no chance to make the team this year as a backup infielder, especially with Brian Bixler playing so well. Pearce could have been a nice fit as a reserve outfielder. Though it feels like Pearce has been on the cusp of the majors forever, he probably could use some more seasoning in AAA. Pearce, in his career, has 508 AAA at bats, with an additional 290 at AA. So really he only has less than a season and a half worth of experience at the top 2 minor league levels, and he struggled a bit in AAA last year. Hopefully, Pearce can tear things up in Indianapolis, forcing the team to bring him back up. And lastly, Diaz's demotion means Jason Jaramillo will be the backup catcher to start the year. This decision must have been based entirely on catching skill, and not hitting, as Diaz has hit .423 this Spring, versus Jaramillo's .148. Anyway, I'm sure we'll see Diaz up with the Pirates at some point this season.

In last night's game, the Pirates lost 4-1 to the Blue Jays and Roy Halladay, who is already in mid season form. Virgil Vasquez, who is competing for the last rotation spot, made the start and allowed 3 runs off 5 hits and 3 walks with 1 strike out in 5 2/3 innings.

Today, the Pirates play the Phillies in a game televised by the MLB network. I'll be watching.

Pirates Express Interest in Baker, Ohman

2009-03-26T22:42:00.000-04:00

With no one stepping up to earn the Pirates' coveted second reserve infielder spot on the Opening Day roster, the team has turned its attention to Colorado's Jeff Baker. The Rockies might not have a spot for the versatile Baker and could be looking to trade him. The Pirates are one of at least three teams, along with the Astros and Phillies, that has expressed interest. Baker could be a decent fit since he hits right-handed, has some pop (22 home runs in 538 career at bats) and can play a number of positions. He is only 27 and has not yet reached his first year of arbitration, which is why this move, if it comes to pass, would not upset me. I would actually prefer to see Brian Bixler or Luis Cruz make the team as a reserve infielder, but at least Baker is relatively young and the Pirates could keep him around for a few years, if he's useful. However, Baker does not have any major league experience at shortstop, leaving Ramon Vazquez as the only reserve who has played that position, assuming of course that Baker is acquired. But with Bixler and Cruz both on the 40-man roster, there are options available should an injury (or Jack Wilson trade) occur.

As for the bullpen, the Pirates continue to be in discussions with free agent lefty Will Ohman, who pitched very well for Atlanta last year. The PBC Blog today reported that the Pirates have even exchanged dollar figures with Ohman. With only Matt Capps, John Grabow and Tyler Yates assured jobs, and bullpen hopefuls Sean Burnett, Donnie Veal, Evan Meek and Craig Hansen struggling of late, the bullpen could use some help. If Ohman is signed, it may mean that the Pirates will go without a traditional long reliever, since they risk losing Burnett, Veal and Hansen if they do not make the Opening Day roster. Provided the starting pitching performs better than last year (with no Matt Morris or John Van Benschoten around, that seems likely), a long reliever might not be as crucial.

Strong Pitching Leads Bucs to Pair of Wins

2009-03-25T10:07:00.001-04:00

The presumptive third and fourth starters in the Pirates' rotation continued their impressive Springs with superb outings the past two games. Monday, in the Pirates' 4-1 win over the Rays, Zach Duke pitched 5 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and 2 walks to go along with 4 strike outs. He even picked a batter off first. Duke's ERA for the Spring is now 1.83. On Tuesday night, Ross Ohlendorf led the Pirates to a 5-2 win over Atlanta. Ohlendorf pitched 6 scoreless innings, surrendering 5 hits and no walks while striking out 3. Ohlendorf's Spring ERA is now 0.59, which is actually still a little higher than Paul Maholm's (0.46). I know, I know, they're just Spring stats. But it's impressive nonetheless.

The Pirates play the Rays again tonight, with Jeff Karstens getting the start.

In Defense of Nyjer Morgan

2009-03-24T11:48:00.000-04:00

Pirates' outfielder Nyjer Morgan has appeared to be the front runner for the Opening Day left fielder spot since Spring began. And he's been given every chance as, through Monday's game, he leads the team in at-bats with 56. However, Morgan is hitting only .179, with 5 steals in 8 attempts. Not exactly impressive, but it is just Spring Training and it's important not to get too worked up over these stats, even though I myself often do. It would be great, sure, to see Morgan tearing things up this Spring and maybe he would be if he wasn't practically given the left field job out of the gate. Brandon Moss, the presumptive starting right fielder, is also struggling, hitting .138 during his injury-plagued Spring. I have no doubt that openly giving a starting spot to anyone other than an established incumbent is not a great idea. But that doesn't mean that Morgan, and Moss, should not be the starting corner outfielders come Opening Day.

I have read little hate for Brandon Moss throughout the various Pirate Blogs. Nyjer Morgan, on the other hand, appears to have very few fans. I've read numerous posts and comments on various sites by people clamoring for Craig Monroe or Eric Hinske to start over Morgan. Even today, whygavs' Pat Lackey, among the biggest Morgan haters, reads way too much into a quote by Morgan from the Post-Gazette, somehow interpreting it as a whole mess of arrogance. And Dejan Kovacevic, in last week's Q&A on the PBC Blog, opined that he "could see him (Monroe) starting the year in right field. And Eric Hinske in left." Granted, he is expressing his opinion about what the Pirates might do, but this is exactly the type of sentiment being expressed by so many Pirate fans right now. And I just don't get it.

Perhaps some Pirate fans see in Morgan a little bit of Chris Duffy, the former Pirate outfielder who fizzled quickly after an impressive debut. In 193 games over parts of 3 seasons, Duffy hit .269 with 41 stolen bases. Morgan, in 86 games over the past 2 seasons, has hit .296 with 16 steals. Of the two, though, Duffy was superior defensively. Now I'm not saying that I'm hoping for Morgan what we all hoped for from Duffy three years ago. I do realize that with Nate McLouth already here, and Andrew McCuthen and Jose Tabata on their way, Morgan probably does not stand much chance of being a starter in Pittsburgh for long. But that is exactly why we need to see him play every day now. We need to see if Morgan is capable of playing as a regular in the Majors. If he's not, we need to know. Also, though he is too old to be considered a prospect, Morgan does have at least two seasons remaining before he becomes arbitration eligible, which makes him a fairly attractive commodity to be had in a trade. If the Atlanta Braves, among other teams, were so enamored with Duffy just 2 years ago, I could certainly see Morgan fetching a nice return on the trade market if he has a productive few months this year. Granted, something similar could be said for Monroe, but I doubt the return would be as nice. If you were a GM, who would you rather acquire: a 29 year old outfielder, with plus speed, who has a .296 career average and won't be eligible for arbitration for a couple of years or so, or a 32 year old outfielder with some pop, marginal speed, a .253 career average, .301 career on-base-percentage, who will be a free agent at the end of the year? I think that's clear.

Aside from the trade, who makes the lineup better? That is actually debatable, since the Bucs do lack power. Well, they lack speed too. So, a lineup beginning with Morgan offers the potential for stolen bases, at the very least. Let's say Morgan starts in left this year and hits .290 with a .350 OBP. He steals 30 some bases too. Those numbers hew pretty closely to his career averages. With that kind of performance from Morgan, with Freddy Sanchez and McLouth following, Morgan could easily score 100 runs and be considered a very solid lead off hitter. Now, if Monroe is in left, that might force McLouth back to lead off, followed by Sanchez and everyone else moving up a spot. Monroe might hit 5th or 6th in this lineup. He will provide some protection for Adam LaRoche and a little extra pop in the middle of the lineup. Monroe's career numbers for a full season project to about a .253 average and 23 home runs. That's pretty decent, but hardly noteworthy. It also means that the team will have no speed, with McLouth stealing as many bases as everyone else combined. Little speed, fewer men on base, more power. That's not a fair trade off for me.

Though I just rambled on about the strengths and weaknesses of the 2009 lineup, with either Morgan or Monrow in left, in reality, whoever ends up getting the nod will have little impact on the Pirates' playoff chances this year. Miracles do happen, but this team has not had a winning record since 1992, nor won more than 68 games since 2004. Neither Morgan nor Monroe will change that on their own. The new Pirates' management team states that they want to build a strong sustainable franchise that can compete every year. They are trying to do just that, but they aren't there yet. They're still in the building phase. Craig Monroe has no long-term future with the Pirates. Nyjer Morgan might. That is the small, but crucial, difference here. The Pirates need to see what they have in Morgan. They need to see if he can be an ace lead off hitter, or a valuable 4th or 5th outfielder, or trade bait, or just not Major League material. There is much less upside in Monroe, and the same goes for Eric Hinske too. It's great for a young team to have a couple of solid veterans on the bench, but when those veterans wind up in the starting lineup too often, the youngsters have little opportunity to grow.

Maholm, Snell Offer Differing Results in Games Versus Reds

2009-03-22T21:13:00.000-04:00

Paul Maholm was brilliant yet again in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Reds. He pitched 6 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and no walks while striking out 4 in the Pirates' 6-5 win. Maholm has not allowed a run in 15 2/3 consecutive Spring innings and his ERA for the Spring is 0.46. Hopefully he can carry this over into the regular season.

On Sunday, Ian Snell was roughed up by these very same Reds in a 6-0 loss. Snell allowed 6 runs off 9 hits and 2 walks in 4 1/3 innings before leaving with a blister on his foot. Apparently, the blister showed up in the second inning, in which Snell allowed 5 runs. Hopefully the blister was to blame for Snell's poor outing.

The Bucs play the Rays on Monday.

In injury news, bench hopeful Andy Phillips remains out with back soreness. He's scheduled for treatment Monday. Pitcher Phil Dumatrait is slowly coming along with his sore shoulder, though he will most likely start the season on the disabled list, according to the PBC blog. Also, reliever Evan Meek will rest for the next few days due to a tired shoulder. Hopefully all is well with him. Meek has pitched great this Spring and remains a contender for a bullpen spot.

Bad Pitching Dooms Bucs

2009-03-20T19:12:00.000-04:00

The Pirates lost their Spring game today against the Boston Red Sox, by a score of 11-4. Though the Bucs' offense didn't do too much, leaving 10 on base and managing just 2 extra base hits, it was the pitching that made this game one-sided. Jeff Karstens, in a feeble attempt to claim the final starting rotation spot, allowed 4 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks in 3 innings. Rule 5 pick Donnie Veal followed by allowing 1 run on 4 walks, 1 hit batter and a wild pitch in 1 2/3 innings. Denny Bautista, who is fighting an uphill battle to make the team, allowed a run on 3 hits with 0(!) walks and 2 strike outs in 1 1/3 innings. Then came Sean Burnett, who has been pitching like he doesn't even want to make the team. Burnett allowed 3 runs on 3 hits in a single inning, raising his Spring ERA to 10.80. Oh, it's not over. Evan Meek, one of the more pleasant surprises of the Spring, gave up 2 runs on 2 hits, 2 walks and 2 wild pitches in 2/3 of an inning. Chris Bootcheck finished things off with by retiring the only batter he faced. Granted, the Red Sox used all regulars, with the exception of Kevin Youkilis, and the Pirates used a younger lineup, but still. 9 walks, 3 wild pitches, 2 hit batters?! Just an ugly game. Up next, the Bucs play the Reds on Saturday.

A Look at the Pirates' 2009 Starting Rotation

2009-03-19T17:03:00.000-04:00

With 17 days until the 2009 season begins, the Pittsburgh Pirates' starting rotation looks to be about set. Before Spring Training even began, Paul Maholm was essentially told he was the one starting pitcher whose job was secure. Through 13 2/3 Spring innings, Maholm has been remarkable, allowing only 1 run on 7 hits and 1 walk. Maholm has earned, and will make, the Opening Day start on April 6 in St. Louis. Maholm has been progressing nicely as a big league starter, and I fully expect that to continue this year.

GM Neal Huntington and Manager John Russell made a point of saying this Spring that there will be competition for the remaining spots in the rotation, citing last year's pre-spring announcement of who the five pitchers would be, and the subsequent horrible performances turned in by most of them. However, since hopefuls Ian Snell and Zach Duke make hefty salaries (by Pirate's standards), and they have been fixtures in the Pirate's rotation for the past 3+ years, everyone kind of assumed they would make it, and they did.

Snell is coming off his worst pro season, but I'm hoping the presence of new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan will help him rediscover his success from 2007. If his performance for team Puerto Rico in the WBC is any indication, we could be in store for a nice bounce back year from Snell.

Duke exploded onto the scene in 2005, going 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA in 84 2/3 innings. The three years since have been a different story, with Duke going a combined 18-37, with an ERA of 4.82, and allowing an ungodly .359 opponent's average in 2007. Theories abound as to what happened here. Did hitters figure him out? Did former pitching coach Jim Colburn, who famously tweaked Duke's delivery in the Spring of 2006, cause such long-lasting damage to the pitcher? Was it a Gypsy curse? I really don't know. Once again, I am hoping that Kerrigan can work a little magic here. Duke has looked sharp so far this Spring, and his Spring numbers tend to have a correlation to his regular season stats.

The final two spots in the rotation are actually being decided by competition, and it looks like Ross Ohlendorf is the first to claim his prize. Ohlendorf is one of three pitchers (plus outfielder Jose Tabata) to come over in the Nady/Marte trade with the Yankees last summer. The other two, Jeff Karstens and Daniel McCutchen, are/were also in the rotation competition. Though he did not pitch all that well in the five starts he made last September, Ohlendorf does have more immediate upside than the other two ex-Yanks, so it's not a surprise to see him outperform them.

The final spot has come down to Karstens, Virgil Vasquez and Jason Davis. McCutchen is well thought of and will most likely make his big league debut later this year. Tom Gorzelanny, potential ace from 2007 and basket case last season, was optioned to AAA earlier this week, removing him from contention. Of the three remaining, I would assume Karstens will get the call. He made 9 starts for Pittsburgh last year, the most memorable of which was his near perfect game against Arizona. Davis is more of a journeyman type, who could help fill out the rotation at AAA or serve as the Pirate's long reliever, and Vasquez just doesn't have as much experience as Karstens or a connection to a blockbuster trade that the current management team wants to have been a success. That's not to say Karstens, if he makes the rotation, is undeserving of his spot, just that his tie to that trade works in his favor.

With a starting rotation of Maholm, Snell, Duke, Ohlendorf and Karstens, and viable starting options of Davis, Vasquez, Gorzelanny, McCutchen and Jimmy Barthmeier in the bullpen or at AAA, the overall availability of quality starting pitching the Pirates have in the upper levels of their franchise is very satisfactory. And with Brad Lincoln probably starting out in AA, and Bryan Morris in high A, more depth is on its way. Though the Bucs' starting pitching probably won't rank among the league's best this year, enough improvements have been made to where it will no longer be an embarrassment.

There's always the possibility that another starting pitcher could be signed before the season starts. The Pirates have talked with Pedro Martinez this off season, though his asking price appears to be too high. The Pirates have also talked with Odalis Perez. I don't see the addition of Perez helping the team much, if at all, this year, and his inclusion, at the expense of a young starter already on the team, could have a negative long-term effect.

A Few More Cuts; Plus Snell and Vazquez Return

2009-03-19T12:38:00.000-04:00

Late Wednesday, the Pirates made three more cuts, optioning third baseman Neil Walker and pitcher Dave Davidson to AAA-Indianapolis and reassigning non-roster pitcher Brian Slocum to the minor league camp. Nothing shocking here. Of course, much like with Jose Tabata or Pedro Alvarez, it would have been nice to see these young players in action a little more, but that would have cost playing time for players with a legitimate chance of making the team. 40 players remain in camp.

With Puerto Rico losing to team USA Monday night in the WBC, pitcher Ian Snell and infielder Ramon Vazquez have returned to camp. Snell may start Sunday against the Reds, which would put him in line to pitch the second game of the regular season; no surprise there. Vazquez, who was the primary third baseman for team Puerto Rico, will probably see most of his Spring playing time at the hot corner, though, since he was signed as a utility infielder, I'm sure he'll appear at second and short as well.

In recent game news, the Pirates lost a pair of night games to start the week; Monday versus Tampa Bay and Tuesday against the Yankees. Monday's game was televised on the MLB Network, using the FSN Pittsburgh feed. Paul Maholm looked fantastic with 4 2/3 scoreless innings, but the relievers were abysmal. Still, it was nice to watch my team play. After getting trounced by the Yankees on Tuesday, the Bucs bounced back with an extra inning win against the Twins on Wednesday, led by another solid outing from Zach Duke. He allowed 2 runs and 5 hits in 5 innings. And, by the way, Duke is in line to start the third game of the regular season. Also, not a surprise. The Pirates are off today and return to action against the Red Sox on Friday.

Bucs Cut Gorzelanny

2009-03-18T11:56:00.001-04:00

In a bit of a surprising move, today the Pirates optioned pitcher Tom Gorzelanny to AAA-Indianapolis. Gorzelanny was in the competition for the two remaining rotation spots, along with Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens and Virgil Vasquez. Gorzelanny pitched very well in 2007 but took a horrible step backward last year, including a mid season demotion to AAA. He came into camp this year in better shape, but didn't pitch especially well, allowing 7 runs, 8 hits and 5 walks in 9 innings. This move does surprise me a bit, since neither Vasquez nor Karstens had pitched all that well overall. Along with Paul Maholm, Ian Snell and Zach Duke, I was already conceding that Ohlendorf would earn the fourth spot, leaving the aforementioned three competing for the 5th. And I was kind of figuring that the Pirates actually would want Gorzelanny to win that last spot. Well, I guess not. Now, I suppose, I'm leaning toward Karstens. He pitched alright for the Bucs last year, though aside from his near perfect game, he was pretty average.

Also today, Jose Tabata was optioned to AA-Altoona. This move was no surprise. Tabata has remained in camp this long only because of the injuries to Eric Hinske and Brandon Moss. Now that the two of them are getting healthy, there is no need for another outfielder. Though, it must be stated, Tabata never looked out of place at the major league camp. He hit .407 with 5 RBIs in 11 games. His progression through the Pirates' system will apparently follow Andrew McCutchen's, since the Pirates want each of these two to play regularly in center field, no matter what lever they're at. So, expect Tabata to remain in Altoona at least until McCutchen is promoted to Pittsburgh. However, I'm assuming at some point next year, they may have to share the same outfield and that means one will need to play a corner. But I guess that'll be a nice problem to have.

Pirates Make Second Batch of Cuts

2009-03-17T17:18:00.000-04:00

On Monday, the Pirates sent Pedro Alvarez, and seven others, to their minor league camp. Alvarez, of course, had no chance to make the team out of Spring Training this year, but I have to admit I would have loved to see him play a little more before being sent down. Alvarez was optioned, along with pitcher Ron Uviedo, to Class-A Lynchburg. I expect Alvarez to spend a couple of months there before being called up to AA-Altoona, maybe around early June, to finish the season. I doubt we'll see him in Pittsburgh this year.

Optioned to Altoona were pitcher Jeff Sues and catcher Steve Lerud. Jimmy Barthmeier was optioned to AAA-Indianapolis. The other 3 players sent down, pitchers Juan Mateo and Daniel McCutchen and second baseman Shelby Ford, are not on the 40 man roster, so they were just reassigned to the minor league camp. Barthmeier and McCutchen were long-shot contenders for the starting rotation for the big league club. I don't see Barthmeier ever being more than a depth guy in the organization, but McCutchen is pretty well thought of and he may end up being a fixture in the rotation before long.

45 players remain in camp.

Pedro Alvarez Hits First Pro Homer

2009-03-15T18:42:00.000-04:00

The Pirates today rallied yet again, scoring 4 runs with two outs in the ninth, in their 7-7 tie with Tampa Bay. Pedro Alvarez walloped a pinch-hit three-run home run to draw the Bucs within a run and non-roster player Garrett Jones followed with a homer of his own to tie the game. The teams wound up playing to an 11 inning tie. Tom Gorzelanny made the start and, once again, had some struggles. He allowed 5 hits and 2 runs in his three innings of work. Jeff Karstens followed and pitched three scoreless innings, surrendering just 2 hits. Sean Burnett continued the recent trend of one Bucs' reliever getting shelled per game. He gave up 4 runs and 5 hits in one inning. Also, Andy LaRoche continued his hot hitting with his second homer of the Spring.

Today's game was a nice showing for the future of the Pirates. In addition to Alvarez's heroics, Jose Tabata, Andrew McCutchen and Brian Bixler each had 2 hits.

The Pirates play the Rays again on Monday.

The Pirates' Catchers

2009-03-14T21:41:00.000-04:00

Ryan Doumit is firmly ensconced as the Pittsburgh Pirates' starting catcher for 2009 and beyond. There is no doubt there. The battle for the backup spot, however, is less clear. Jason Jaramillo (age 26) and Ronbinzon Diaz (25) are fighting for that honor this spring. Both were acquired in trades last year; Jaramillo from the Phillies for Ronny Paulino and Diaz from the Blue Jays for Jose Bautista. Both players are inexperienced at the major league level; Jaramillo having never appeared in a game and Diaz having recorded a mere 10 at-bats last year. In the minors last year, Jaramillo hit .266 with 8 home runs and 39 RBIs in 421 at-bats with the awesomely named AAA club of the Phillies, the LeHigh Valley Iron Pigs. Combining his totals from '08 with both the Blue Jays' and Pirates' AAA clubs, Diaz hit .255 with 1 home run and 16 RBIs in 145 at bats. So, clearly neither player projects to be much of an offensive force, though they both seem capable of holding their own against major league pitching, based on their Spring performances so far this year. They do look a little more formidable on defense though. Last year, Diaz threw out 39% of would-be base-stealers and did not commit an error. Jaramillo threw out 36%, though he did commit 16 errors. By comparison, last year Doumit threw out only 27% and committed 8 errors. Average numbers there. Since the starter is an offensive threat and is expected to play 80% of the games, a competent defensive catcher is needed to back him up, and the Pirates appear to have two options there.

Since both Jaramillo and Diaz are relatively young and capable choices, I'm of the opinion that it does not really matter who makes the team to start the year. The Pirates will choose one and send the other to AAA. If the one in the majors struggles, they can, and will, send him down and call the other up. What this does mean for the Pirates though is that they have some solid catching depth at the upper levels of their system. As we witnessed last year with the team's inability to fill out a starting rotation, depth is crucial. If Doumit gets hurt (it's happened before, a lot), the Pirates have two capable catchers available to fill the major league roster. Neither provides as much as Doumit, but, at the very least, there won't be a drop off in the quality of the catching. With all that being said, I would expect Jaramillo to make the Opening Day roster.

Game News: In Grapefruit League action, the Pirates lost today to the Yankees 13-10. Ross Ohlendorf started things off with 4 perfect innings, but the bullpen gave the game away, allowing all 13 runs in their 5 innings, with Craig Hansen the biggest culprit, allowing 5 in just a third of an inning. Yet again, the resilient Pirates battled back, scoring 7 runs in the final two innings. Nyjer Morgan, Ryan Doumit, Garrett Jones and Jeff Salazar all homered for Pittsburgh, and youngsters Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez each had 2 hits. The Pirates play the Rays on Sunday.

There are a couple of interesting pieces on the Pirates' Official site about the organization's youngsters. One on the top ten prospects in the system (don't freak out; they're listed in alphabetical order) and the other just more of a general minor league/young player preview for the year.

With 3 in the 9th, Bucs Win Again

2009-03-13T15:59:00.000-04:00

I know it's only Spring Training but I can't help getting excited when I see the Pirates rally for three runs in the 9th inning to pull off a come-from-behind victory. This is the sort of resiliency they showed often last year, and since they also rallied from 8 runs down against Boston the other day, maybe this is just the sort of trait this group of Pirates exhibit, in a general sort of way. The kind of trait that will be evident during the regular season, perhaps. I have to keep telling myself that it is still only March, and these games don't count, and I'm bound to be a little disappointed once the calendar changes, but I'm enjoying this nonetheless.

In today's game, roster hopeful Jeff Salazar clubbed the go-ahead three run home run with one out in the ninth, leading the Pirates to a 6-5 win. Granted, the homer was off fringe player Blaine Neal (I looked him up; he has not pitched in the majors since 2005). But a clutch hit is a clutch hit. Also, Steve Pearce and Brian Bixler each had 3 hits. Zach Duke made the start and pitched very well: 3 2/3 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 walk, 2 strike outs. Dave Davidson made his first Spring appearance since returned from his stint on team Canada in the WBC. Davidson stuck out the only batter he faced. The Phillies scored all of their runs today off Daniel McCutchen in an inning and a third. With Virgil Vasquez looking good all of the sudden, McCutchen's starting to slip in his bid for a rotation spot.

I have failed to mention Duke much this Spring. The memories of his impressive debut in 2005 have faded and I've grown to think of him more as the struggling hurler from the past couple of years. However, Duke has been great this Spring. He signed his first big contract this off-season and he's been virtually guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation to start the year. A pitcher with E.R.A.'s the past three regular seasons of 4.47 ('06), 5.53 ('07) and 4.82 ('08) should seem like he has to earn his way onto a big league roster. But Duke has stepped up so far with an E.R.A. of 1.86 through 9 2/3 innings. Because of this, I decided to check out Duke's Spring history. In 2005, Duke posted an E.R.A. of 3.75 in 12 innings. In '06, 7.96 in 26 innings, along with 44(!) hits allowed. In '07, his E.R.A. was 7.02 in 16 2/3 innings and last year it was 3.86 in 14 innings. The correlation between Duke's Spring and Regular Season performances is somewhat evident. Last year would appear to be an aberration, however, Duke did shave nearly 3/4 of a run off his E.R.A., and I would consider that progress. So, I'm feeling pretty good about the rotation for the year. I don't expect Duke to come close to repeating his performance in '05, but if he can keep his E.R.A. in the neighborhood of 4 or so, he would definitely have earned his spot.

Pirates' 30 in 30 Review

2009-03-12T15:56:00.000-04:00

The MLB Network aired the Pittsburgh Pirates' edition of their 30 Clubs in 30 Days series over this past weekend. Though it came in with an estimated 105 million fewer viewers than the M.A.S.H. finale from 1983, it was at least more anticipated by yours truly. Granted, in 1983 I was most likely playing with my AT-AT, counting the days until the release of Return of the Jedi. Anyway, despite the constant changes in the scheduled time slot, and the dreaded appearance of the two analysts I was hoping would avoid this assignment, the show was quite entertaining and enjoyable.

Greg Amsinger hosted and was joined by (dreaded) analysts Mitch Williams and Dan Plesac, and former GM John Hart. Trenni Kusnierek also assisted with canned interviews from Florida. Now I didn't expect this group to offer unwarranted praise for the Pirates, but they were very fair and evenhanded. I have watched, at least in part, some other teams' episodes and the MLB crew does seem to treat them all rather equally, which is refreshing. That does make sense, of course, because the MLB owns the MLB Network and has a rooting interest in all MLB teams. Still, this is not the kind of treatment I'm accustomed to as a Pirate fan. I'm used to the Bucs never being televised nationally and being relegated to a one-highlight or line-score-only appearance during the 58th minute of SportsCenter. But not this time.

The group did discuss the obvious: the Pirates' long string of losing seasons and lack of ability to draft and develop impact players. They actually went a little easy on the recent history of disappointing first-round draft choices, praising Paul Maholm (deservedly) and failing to mention the Moskos/Wieters fiasco. Though they were all united in expressing optimism for Pedro Alvarez.

A handful of Bucs were interviewed for this show. Joe Kerrigan, Matt Capps, Nate McLouth, Ryan Doumit, Eric Hinske, Andrew McCutchen, Paul Maholm and John Russell all received some mike time. No love for veterans Jack Wilson or Freddy Sanchez, but that's okay.

Of course, at the end of the show, the studio group all discussed where the featured team will likely finish this coming season, and

SPOILER ALERT

they all (save Amsinger, who did not comment) agreed with Baseball America: The Pirates will finish last. That's okay. No surprise really. But they did all agree that the Pirates are headed in the right direction, so that's something, I guess.

In Grapefruit action, the Pirates defeated the Twins 6-4 today behind 3 home runs by Opening Day roster hopeful Craig Monroe. 2 of the 3 were off a legitimate big league talent, Scott Baker. Monroe now has 6 homers this Spring. With Brandon Moss hurting, this certainly increases Monroe's chances to make the team, though he was already looking pretty good. Virgil Vasquez made the start for Pittsburgh and pitched well, with three scoreless innings. Vasquez is still a contender for a starting rotation spot. Ryan Doumit and Nate McLouth also homered.

And yesterday, the Pirates played Toronto to a 2-2 tie in 11 innings. Paul Maholm matched Blue Jays starter Roy Halladay with 4 scoreless innings.

Through today, the Pirates' record in Grapefruit League action is 9-4-1. The Pirates play the Phillies on Friday.

Snell Looks Sharp, as Puerto Rico Advances

2009-03-09T23:38:00.000-04:00

I was able to watch the first 5 innings or so of the WBC first round match-up between Puerto Rico and the Netherlands tonight. The Pirates' Ian Snell, pitching for Puerto Rico, looked pretty sharp in four innings of work. He allowed 1 run, 3 hits, 1 walk with 5 strikeouts. Snell allowed all three hits and the run in the second inning, though the lead off hit he allowed was misplayed into a double by left fielder Bernie Williams. He then allowed a sharp single down the right field line by ex-Buc Yurendell DeCaster that brought home the run. The next batter reached on a seeing-eye single up the middle before Snell got out of the jam with a double-play and a strike out. Snell opened the fourth by walking another former Pirate, and sausage assailant, Randall Simon, but was able to recover and retire the next three hitters. He ended up throwing only 50 pitches in his four innings. Snell looked very good though he did leave a few fastballs up, but you can get away with that when the opposing team can't find a better cleanup hitter than Simon. Still, it was nice to see him pitch well and I have high hopes for him for this season and beyond.

Speaking of pitching, the Pirates lost their Grapefruit League match-up against Boston today. The final score: 15-14. Most of the damage was done against Tom Gorzelanny, Chris Bootcheck, Brian Slocum and Juan Mateo. The other 4 Pirate pitchers fared much better. At least the offense was working as Jose Tabata returned to action with 3 hits and 4 RBIs. Nyjer Morgan, Garrett Jones, Neil Walker and Robinzon Diaz each had 2 hits. The Pirates were down by 8 early and battled back to force extra innings. The resiliency was nice to see. Up next, the Pirates' first day off of the Spring.

First Four Cuts

2009-03-09T14:27:00.000-04:00

The Pirates today made their first cuts of the Spring. Reliever Romulo Sanchez was optioned to AAA. Pitcher Daniel Haigwood, infielder Pedro Lopez and catcher Miguel Perez were sent to the minor league camp. None of these four players were expected to make the major league team to start the year. More cuts are expected next week.

Pirates Lose Prospect Cunningham for Season

2009-03-08T16:30:00.001-04:00

Minor League infielder Jarek Cunningham, the Pirates' 18th round pick in last year's draft, will miss the entire 2009 season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Baseball America ranked Cunningham as the 13th best prospect in the Pirates' system, though that's like saying Money Talks is the third best Brett Ratner movie. It is a tough loss for the organization even though he's still a few years away from Pittsburgh, best case. When I saw the headline (Pirates Prospect to Miss All of 2009) I panicked, fearing Jose Tabata was the prospect. So, all things considered, reading it was Cunningham was a bit of a relief.

Speaking of Tabata (right shoulder), he could return to action early this week, though probably as a DH initially.

And, things are looking up for Brandon Moss (thumb) as his injury may only be a bruise. But he's flying back to Pittsburgh to see a hand specialist Monday and more information will follow, I'm sure.

In game news, the Pirates defeated Houston today, 11-4. Ross Ohlendorf pitched into the 4th and allowed 1 earned run on 6 hits. Donnie Veal ran into his first trouble of the Spring in the 5th, as he walked 4, threw a wild pitch and balked. Control was, and still is, the primary concern with him. Hopefully he can bounce back from this poor outing and give the Bucs' management some more to think about. Anyway, after Veal allowed 2 runs in the 5th to give the Astros the lead, his team responded with 4 scoreless innings by the pitching staff and 8 more runs by the offense. Freddy Sanchez, Craig Monroe and Garrett Jones all homered and the hit-machine himself, Andy LaRoche, went 2 for 2, with 2 walks and a HBP. His Spring average is up to an even .600 as LaRoche tries to make us all forget about last summer.

On Monday, the Pirates take on the Red Sox, and try to improve upon their 8-3 Spring record.

Bucs Defeat Twins, Improve to 7-3 in Spring

2009-03-07T16:26:00.000-05:00

The Pirates routed the Twins today, 10-1, in a Grapefruit League match-up. Zach Duke started and went 3 innings, allowing 3 hits and 1 run. Daniel McCutchen, Craig Hansen, Chris Bootcheck, Tyler Yates and Juan Mateo followed holding the Twins to 2 hits and 2 walks in 6 scoreless innings. Adam LaRoche hit his first homer of the spring and was one of 11 different Pirates to each have at least one hit. The Pirates play the Astros on Sunday.

Injury Update: Outfielder Brandon Moss left today's game with a sprained right thumb. Finger injuries can linger, so let's hope the forthcoming MRI offers some hope.

Steve Pearce remains of out action due to a sore calf. He is taking batting practice but has yet to be cleared for running or fielding exercises. Before the injury, he was already on the bubble to make the Opening Day roster. The lack of game action for him could mean he's out of the running.

MLB Network update: Okay, so it looks the Pirate edition of 30 Clubs in 30 Days will debut at 6:30 tonight, instead of 6 pm, which I mentioned the other day, or 11 pm, which I mentioned weeks ago. My cable menu still says 6, and the MLB Net website still says 6, but on the channel earlier today, they said 6:30. So, I'm going with 6:30.

30 Clubs in 30 Days Schedule Update

2009-03-06T09:33:00.000-05:00

I just checked the MLB Network's site and it appears that the Pirate edition will premiere at 6pm Eastern on Saturday, March 7. I previously mentioned that it would debut at 11 pm, so either I misread the schedule or the MLB Network read my impassioned post on the matter and were compelled to change it. Either way, don't forget to watch it. If you miss the 6pm, it's on again at 11:30 pm, then Sunday at 5 am and 8 am, and Monday at 8 am. Or, you know, just record it and watch it at your leisure.

A Look at the Pirates' '09 Bullpen

2009-03-05T23:15:00.000-05:00

After today's extra-inning loss to the Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates stand at 6-2 in Grapefruit League play, plus an exhibition victory over the Netherlands WBC team. I have tried, somewhat spuriously, to claim that a winning Spring Training record could portend that a winning regular season is in the immediate future. However, what is true is that now is the time for those players battling for a roster spot to prove their mettle. While maybe 80% of the Bucs' eventual Opening Day roster is essentially set, there are a few interesting spots up for grabs. Today, let's take a look at the bullpen, and how it might look come April 6.

There are three Pirate relievers who are signed to major league contracts valuing over $1 million apiece. They are closer Matt Capps, lefthander John Grabow and righthander Tyler Yates. None of those three are in any real danger of being released or reassigned to the minors. Barring a trade, all three will make the team.

There are three other players who must make the major league team or the Pirates might lose them. Both Sean Burnett and Craig Hansen are out of minor league options so the Pirates would have to place them on waivers in order to send them down. Burnett pitched fairly well last year and I would imagine the Pirates hope he could eventually become a quality late inning guy. Hansen is one of the four players the Pirates received last summer in the Jason Bay trade. Though his major league numbers thus far in his young career are nothing to get excited about, the Pirates like the potential this hard-thrower has, and there is no way they would risk losing an important piece of the big trade so quickly. Donnie Veal was acquired in last fall's Rule 5 draft from the Chicago Cubs. Veal must make the team and stay on the 25 man active roster (or major league disabled list) the entire season or he must be offered back to the Cubs. The Pirates got around this last year with Evan Meek, but that doesn't always work out. Veal has no experience higher than AA, so it would be a bit of a risk carrying someone like that for the full season. However, Veal has pitched exceptionally well so far this spring. Control was the primary concern with him, but he has walked only one batter in four scoreless innings to this point.

With 6 spots essentially spoken for, this leaves but one left. None of the 6 aforementioned relievers profiles as a long relief pitcher, so the final spot will be taken by someone who fits that role. And that may end up being one of the losers in the battle for a rotation spot. I'm not sure Phil Dumatrait is healthy enough yet to get into the rotation battle, so he could be in the mix here. Chris Bootcheck is a non-roster player in camp who has pitched very well so far. For him to make the club however, another player may be exposed to waivers. Evan Meek has also pitched great, but he's more of an inning or two reliever. If there weren't such a risk in losing Veal or Hansen, he could have a good shot. Denny Bautista is in the mix too, but his talent is replaceable and he might even take an assignment to AAA to start the year. So, I'm leaning toward Dumatrait for this last spot, though if his health is an issue, Jeff Karstens could get the call as I don't really see him making the rotation unless Tom Gorzelanny can't get himself figured out.

Things could still change. There is a month until the season starts and I would not be surprised to see Grabow traded. If that happens, Burnett moves up to the top lefty reliever slot and it greatly increases the odds of Meek or Bootcheck making the team.

'09 Bullpen, says I: Matt Capps, John Grabow, Tyler Yates, Sean Burnett, Craig Hansen, Donnie Veal, Phil Dumatrait (if hurt, then Karstens)

Bucs' Domination Knows No Bounds

2009-03-03T18:50:00.000-05:00

The Pirates defeated the WBC Netherlands team today, by a score of 5-4. Though this game does not count in the Grapefruit League standings, it does bring the Bucs' overall Spring record to 6-1. The Pirates gave most of their regulars the day off for this one. A little slap in the face for the Dutch, I'd say. Craig Monroe and Andy Phillips were the only position players used who even have an outside chance at making the big league club to start the season. The Bucs play the Twins tomorrow.

Injury News: Utility man Luis Cruz aggravated a hip injury. He is not expected to miss much time. And outfield prospect Jose Tabata has some mild rotator cuff inflammation. He's expected to rest through the weekend. (info courtesy of PBC Blog)

Relief pitcher John Grabow has been added to the United State's team for the WBC. He is replacing Brian Fuentes of the Angels, who has some personal matters to attend to. Apparently, Grabow only gets to stay on the team until Fuentes returns.

The Pirates Win Again, but Does it Matter?

2009-03-02T18:43:00.000-05:00

The Pirates defeated the Reds today in a Spring Training match up in Bradenton, FL, by a score of 2-1. For those of us keeping track, this makes the Pirates 5-1 thus far. Though Spring Training has no direct bearing on the regular season, it is very nice to see the Bucs pitch so well in the early going. Zach Duke started today and pitched 2 scoreless innings, allowing 2 hits and 0 walks. After Daniel McCutchen gave up 1 run, 3 hits and a walk in his two innings, 5 Pirates relievers allowed the Reds a combined 3 hits and a walk in 5 scoreless innings. Jason Jaramillo, who is competing for the backup catcher job, threw out two would-be base stealers. The offense didn't do much, aside from scoring the eventual winning run in the 8th, but not much offense was needed today. The Pirates take on the Netherlands World Baseball Classic team tomorrow.

As a Pirate fan, I can't help but cling to every morsel of good news that comes my way. Now I know that the Pirate's impressive Spring Training record thus far doesn't really mean anything, but I felt compelled nonetheless to do a little research on the matter. I compared Spring Training records versus regular season records for all teams over the last six years with the hope of spotting a trend. Granted a strong Spring start does not guarantee a strong Spring finish, so winning percentages could certainly change.

From 2003 through 2008, 91 teams had winning records in Spring Training. Of those 91, 53 would go on to post winning records in the subsequent regular season. That equates to 58%. Focusing only on the Grapefruit League, in which the Pirates play, the percentage improves to 61%. Also, in 2003, Kansas City had the best record in Spring Training and they ended up with a winning record for that year, which is quite rare for the Royals. Just last year, Tampa Bay had the best Spring record and they went to the World Series. However, only half of the past 6 World Champions had winning Springs the same year. Even the Pirates had 2 winning Springs over the past 6 years, and we know how many winning seasons followed. While this little experiment has proven inconclusive, it certainly does appear true that, more often than not, winning teams start winning before the games count.

In other news, the Post-Gazette reported today that outfield prospect Jose Tabata has some sort of shoulder injury. An MRI is scheduled and more information should be available tomorrow. My fingers are crossed.

Reality Creeps In; Bucs Suffer First Spring Loss

2009-02-27T21:49:00.000-05:00

The Pirates lost their first game of the Spring today, 5-2 against the Atlanta Braves. The pitching was poor and the offense was almost non-existent. Jason Davis, Zach Duke and Daniel McCutchen all struggled in their respective one inning appearances. Tom Gorzelanny, however, pitched fairly well, save back-to-back walks to start the second. He allowed just those two walks, with no runs or hits, in two innings of work. And Donnie Veal threw a perfect seventh, with a strikeout. The Pirate's offense managed just six hits, though Pedro Alvarez, in his first professional start, singled and walked in four plate appearances and Neil Walker added a double and an RBI. The Bucs take on the Astros on Saturday.

Eric Hinske missed Friday's game due to a left ribcage bruise. He could miss up to a week, though the injury is not considered to be serious. Alvarez got the start in his place.

8 days until the Pirates are the featured team on MLB Network's 30 Clubs in 30 Days series. I've been watching bits and pieces of some episodes on other teams and these shows are much more casual than I expected. It's mostly one of the Matt Vasgersian types chatting with a couple of the lesser MLB talking heads and John Hart, former GM and currently advisor for the Texas Rangers, interspersed with some Spring workout footage and a couple interviews. Now I know the Pirates are no marquee team, and I'm sure the MLB Network is not about to go out of its way to make sure their best and brightest are on hand for the Pirates episode, but I really hope we don't get Dan Pleasac or Sean Casey or Mitch Williams for our show. I don't think Pleasac takes it very seriously, Casey seems too awkward and Williams, well, I just don't think he's that bright. I'm crossing my fingers that we luck out and up with Harold Reynolds and Al Leiter. Or maybe I've just put too much thought into this. Hmm.

Bucs Win Again!

2009-02-26T21:45:00.001-05:00

The Mighty Pirates improved to 2-0 in Spring Training today by rallying for 3 runs in the ninth to pull off a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox. The Pirate's future looked good in doing so, as Pedro Alvarez doubled home Neil Walker with the first run in the ninth. Jose Tabata scored soon after and Alvarez himself then came home as the decisive run. Ian Snell overcame a rough first inning (exacerbated by a Brian Bixler error) and struck out the side in the second. Ross Ohlendorf, Jimmy Barthmaier, Denny Bautista and Sean Burnett each were perfect in relief. Okay okay, I know it's Spring Training, but good pitching and clutch hitting really makes me happy. Up next, the Atlanta Braves on Friday.

Dirty Doug officially moves on. Today, the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Mientkiewicz to a minor league contract with an invite to their Spring camp. We all knew at this point that Doug Mientkiewicz was not coming back to Pittsburgh, so this is not shocking news by any means. Mientkiewicz played well for the Pirates last year and was a fan favorite, but Bob Smizik of the Post-Gazette can't help but wonder if management just didn't want him around any longer. If that's the case, I'm going to have to support the Pirate's brass here. Though I don't expect the major league ball club to be very good this year, I haven't felt so optimistic about the near future of the Pirates in quite some time.

Pirates Thump Phillies; and Other News

2009-02-25T16:23:00.000-05:00

One game into Spring Training and the Pirates are over .500! Enjoy it while you can, people. In the exhibition opener today in Bradenton, FL, our Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the defending champion Philadelphia Phillies 8-2. Obviously, you cannot judge a team, or even individual players, based on one Spring Training game. But it does feel nice to start off with a win. Some notable performances include Shelby Ford hitting a 3-run home run, Freddy Sanchez with 2 hits and an RBI and Craig Hansen not walking a batter in his inning of work. Three of our top prospects made appearances as well: Andrew McCutchen went 0 for 2, Neil Walker 0 for 2 with an RBI, and Pedro Alvarez struck out in his only at-bat. The Bucs take on the Red Sox tomorrow. Can they knock off the '07 champs too?

The official rosters for the World Baseball Classic were announced yesterday. 9 Pirates made it, including 2 who are sure to make the '09 Pirate's team: Ian Snell and Ramon Vasquez (both Puerto Rico). The others are all minor leaguers (though pitcher Dave Davidson [Canada] is on the 40-man roster). The rest are: Ray Chang (China), Chi-Hung Cheng (Chinese Taipei), Joshua Hill (Australia), Paul Mildren (Australia), Eliecer Navarro (Panama), and Gift Ngoepe (South Africa). If you don't recognize too many names there (or any names), don't feel bad. You're not alone. There has been some concern that the WBC could lead to injuries or poorer performances, since Jake Peavy and Pedro Martinez, among others, suffered, at least statistically, in 2006, following the previous WBC. That concern is just, so keep an eye on Ian Snell. The Pirates really need a healthy and productive Snell to scratch respectability this year.

The Pirates have signed 26 year old infielder Ruben Gotay to a minor league contract. Gotay has played in parts of five seasons for the Royals, Mets and Braves. Though primarily a second baseman, he has played some third and short in the majors. Gotay doesn't have much pop, or speed, or plate discipline even, so he appears to be in camp as an insurance policy. With Ramon Vasquez signed as the team's primary reserve infielder, there would appear to be little need for an inferior reserve infielder with little to no upside. The only way Gotay makes the team will be if Sanchez or Wilson goes down with a significant injury, or if none of the young kids impress. Well, based on Brian Bixler's performance last year, maybe Gotay does have a chance. But even so, I would rather see Bixler as the 6th infielder, or better yet, Luis Cruz, than Gotay. The Pirates will not reach the postseason this year, so let's see what the younger players can do.

Bucs Pick Up Option for Manager Russell

2009-02-21T12:20:00.000-05:00

Though the team finished with a very Jim Tracy like record of 67-95 in 2008, Pirates' manager John Russell had his 2010 option picked up today, ESPN.com reports. Actually, Tracy averaged 67.5 wins in his two years as the Bucs' skipper. I'm kidding a bit because Jim Tracy actually did a pretty horrible job and John Russell has seemed much more capable. Tracy had Jason Bay, Damaso Marte and, for most of his tenure, Xavier Nady. Russell had those three for only about 2/3 of the year, and the teams' win/loss record for '08 suffered considerably once those three were traded. Russell seems much more even-handed and competent than his predecessor, though part of this perception is due to team president Frank Coonelly and GM Neal Huntington. I'm not sure, if under Tracy and former GM Dave Littlefield, we would have seen Matt Morris, and his ginormous salary, released a month into the season. I also have doubts that Ronny Paulino and Tom Gorzelanny would have been sent to the minors after their disappointing performances. The only real instance last year of a player getting more chances than he earned would be with Andy LaRoche, but since he was a key component of the Jason Bay trade, and the Pirates were out of contention, I can understand it. Well I guess the continued use of John Van Benschoten was a little dubious too, but that really had more to do with pitching depth than anything else. So as we move into year two of the Russell era, I feel confident in our skipper. Hopefully we will see an increase in major league talent over the next two years to justify my faith in him.

In ex-Pirate news, former can't-miss-savior-pitcher Kris Benson has signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers. Benson has not pitched in a majors since 2006, and he has not pitched well since 2000. Well, he did alright for the Mets in '05, but 2000 was really his only season of much quality. I have no hard feelings for him; it's not his fault that he failed to become a perennial Cy Young candidate. He just symbolizes the Pirates' failures in the Bonifay/Littlefield era. I wish him luck though.

Also, Pirate single game tickets went on sale today. Now that I live within a day's drive of PNC Park, I really have no excuse not to go. The prices are not too bad either. Okay, I have a new goal: One game this season. And at least one game each year we're in Indiana. That's doable.

History Will Be Made on March 7

2009-02-19T17:15:00.000-05:00

Ladies and gentlemen, mark your calendars. On Saturday March 7, at 11:30 pm, the MLB Network will premiere it's season preview of the Pittsburgh Pirates. 60 minutes of programming, including commercials, on a national network, devoted to the Pirates. I cannot recall the last time that happened. I'm pretty sure it's been years since ESPN televised a Pirate game on their Sunday night telecast. They may have slipped one in on a Wednesday night or something, but even that I'm not sure about. Okay, WGN is a national network and they do end up showing maybe half a dozen Pirate games per year, but I'm not counting that. They're televising Cubs games, and ESPN, if they happened to show a Pirate's game in recent year, were airing the Pirate's opponent primarily. But this folks, MLB Network's Pirate themed episode of their 30 Clubs in 30 Days series, is truly historic. And yes, I did notice that the Pirate episode premieres on a Saturday night at nearly midnight. The Red Sox and Yankee episodes, for example, initially air at 8 pm on their respective dates. But I'm okay with that. I'll take our Jericho or Firefly-esque scheduling. I know the Pirates are ratings poison. But just being included is a nice enough feeling for me.

It's Official: McLouth Signs Multi-Year Deal

2009-02-17T14:48:00.000-05:00

Hours before their scheduled arbitration hearing today, the Pittsburgh Pirates and center fielder Nate McLouth agreed to terms on a three year contract, which includes a club option for a fourth year. The deal includes a signing bonus of $1.5 million and salaries of $2 million for this year, $4.5 million for 2010, $6.5 million for 2011 and $10.65 million for 2012, the option year, with a $1.25 million buyout. The minimum total value for the deal is $15.75 million. There are also escalator clauses in the contract that could increase McLouth's salary in 2010 through 2012. The escalators are based on All-Star appearances and Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards won. The total maximum value of the deal is $27 million.

The deal provides security, and a hefty raise, for McLouth. It also allows the Pirates to have one of their top players under contract, at a reasonable rate, for the next 3 years. Come 2012, the Pirates can then decide if the team is in good enough shape to shell out a pretty hefty salary for one player. I would imagine if the team is playing well, and making a little more money, retaining McLouth at that price might be reasonable. Of course that is 3 years off, and who knows how well McLouth will continue to play over the next few seasons. But for now, I'm pleased.

Pirates Offer Contract to Reliever Ohman

2009-02-16T21:44:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com reported today that the Pirates are one of three teams to have offered left-handed relief pitcher Will Ohman a major league contract for the coming season. The other two teams are the Florida Marlins and the San Diego Padres. It is speculated that the potential offers are in the neighborhood of $1 million for one year. Ohman is taking his time deciding since he has also been in contact with, though yet to receive official offers from, three good teams: the Phillies, Mets and Dodgers. Clearly if offers do come from one of those three teams, the dollar amount cannot possibly be much less than what is currently being offered, so I can't blame him for waiting this out a bit.

Ohman is coming off a career year with Atlanta, posting a 3.68 ERA in 83 relief appearances. He struck out 53 in 58 2/3 innings and had a WHIP of 1.24. If the Pirates do sign Ohman, it would give the team two very capable late inning left handers, along with John Grabow. Tyler Yates remains the most prominent right handed pitcher, aside from closer Matt Capps, in the prospective Pirate bullpen. It might also mean Donnie Veal would not make the team. In addition to Capps, Grabow and Yates, Sean Burnett and Craig Hansen will most likely be on the Opening Day roster. And Phil Dumatrait, if healthy, will most likely be the long man. Ohman would be the seventh and final reliever. This is, of course, barring injury or trades.

The MLB Network, Livan Correction, and the Clock Winds Down for McLouth

2009-02-16T12:44:00.000-05:00

I am still quite impressed with the fledgling MLB Network. Though the season has yet to begin, and I believe they will only air one game per week, their mini retrospectives of seasons and World Series past keep me entertained enough. From around 1999 through 2004 I worked full time in retail, with varying hours, sometimes lasting until midnight. That prevented me from being able to see the vast majority of post-season games during that time. Though I was able to see highlights after the fact, and read about these games in the paper and online, being able to relive them, even in truncated form, is enough to satisfy. In the past few weeks, I have watched the specials on the 2001 and 2002 World Series. Two thrilling match ups that I was only able to see snippets of at the time. I even remember listening to bits of both series on my car radio while on lunch break. I'm pretty sure my break ended, during Game 7 in '01, in the top of the ninth, with the Yankees leading by a run. I was probably told by a customer later that evening about Arizona's stunning comeback. While watching these recaps now is not the same thing, it does allow me to recapture the moments, at least a little bit.

In my diatribe against Livan Hernandez the other day, I mentioned that he shared his World Series MVP with his good friend Eric Gregg. That was not the case. (I just watched MLB's 1997 World Series special, and have been put in my place.) Hernandez was MVP of that World Series, but the honor that Gregg was partially responsible for was the '97 NLCS. My apologies to Hernandez and to the Gregg family. Though I liked Gregg and he was one of the more affable umpires, his idea of the strike zone in Game 7 of that NLCS did not resemble a 'normal' strike zone, by any stretch of the imagination.

The clock is ticking, Mr. McLouth. Tomorrow your arbitration hearing is scheduled to take place. The results of which should be announced on Wednesday. There is still time to settle, of course. Perhaps you should do just that, since the decision might not be to your liking.

Livan Signs with Mets; I Breathe Sigh of Relief

2009-02-14T17:27:00.000-05:00

Because the Pirates have reportedly inquired as to the availability of free agent starting pitchers Braden Looper and Pedro Martinez, I have assumed that the team is looking for a veteran starter (and I support that). However, with most free agent starters remaining being retired or injured, the one that is neither had me worried. Yes, a veteran starting pitcher would be good for the team. No, a veteran starting pitcher named Livan Hernandez would not be good. Fortunately, today the Mets have signed Livan to a minor-league contract. I know Livan has had some good years, particularly for the Giants and Expos earlier this decade, and I know he was the co-MVP (along with umpire Eric Gregg) of the 1997 World Series, but he is nothing more than Zach Duke on a bad day. Maybe a slightly more resilient bad day Duke. Hernandez gave up 4 or more earned runs 18 times last season. Duke, actually, only had 13 such starts. Paul Maholm had 11!, though a bad May contained a disproportionate amount of them. Anyway, I'm probably making a big deal out of nothing here, since I had not heard the Pirates were interested in Hernandez at all. I just couldn't help but worry.

Speaking of starting pitchers, here are some free agents remaining: Paul Byrd, Scott Elarton, Chuck James, Orlando Hernandez, Pedro Martinez, Mark Mulder, Sidney Ponson, Curt Schilling, Ben Sheets. Byrd has said he'll wait until later in the season to sign with someone and everyone else has injury concerns. A one-year, incentive based deal, with an option for 2010 might be intriguing for Sheets, but other than that, meh.

Looper is Out; Plus More Arbitration News

2009-02-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

Ignoring my pleas for an upgrade to the starting rotation, the Pittsburgh Pirates failed to sign Braden Looper. Today Looper agreed to a one-year deal (with an option for 2010) with the Milwaukee Brewers. Though it turned out that Looper is older than I thought (he's 34), I still feel that he would have made a nice addition to the Pirates. I am perfectly okay with keeping Ohlendorf or Karstens in the minors if they're not ready, or sending Duke to the bullpen (or minors, even) if it means a pitcher of Looper's caliber was in the mix. Even if Pittsburgh does sign a veteran starter to a major league contract and the young pitchers exceed expectations, a trade could always be made. But with Spring Training beginning on Saturday, the addition of a veteran starter now seems unlikely.

Also today, Florida Marlins second baseman Dan Uggla won his arbitration hearing. He was awarded $5.35 million, rather than the Marlin's offer of $4.4 million. This might make my prediction that Nate McLouth will lose his arbitration case seem a little shaky. Uggla, though, has been a starter for the Marlins for the past three seasons, and the power he provides is especially great for his position. But I'm afraid Uggla's victory might make McLouth's people a little overconfident. They should also take a look at Rick Ankiel, outfielder for the Cardinals, as well. Ankiel is an odd case, since he began earning major league service time in 2000 as a pitcher, but he has basically been a starting outfielder for just as long as McLouth has. Some of their numbers are actually fairly similar from the past two seasons. Well, Ankiel today avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year deal with St. Louis for $2.825 million, which is just a hair more than the Pirate's offer for McLouth. Nate is a more well-rounded player than Ankiel, so I would think he and the Pirates could reach a settlement of around $3.25 million or so. If that's on the table, McLouth should take it.

Pre-Spring Training Musings

2009-02-10T15:50:00.000-05:00

Pitchers and catchers report to camp this Saturday and I am very excited about that. Even though the Pirates will most assuredly be just shy of mediocre, I cannot help but be filled with optimism. Even with a losing record (making it 17 consecutive losing seasons) looming, I am anxious to see how the season unfolds for the Pirate's players, in the majors and minors both. Can Nate McLouth produce as well as last year? Will Ian Snell and Tom Gorzelanny bounce back from horrid seasons? How will Pedro Alvarez perform? And of course, when will we see the Holy One, Andrew McCutchen, in Pittsburgh? Though a poor record seems inevitable, the answers to these questions could portend to how things will unfold for the Pirates in 2010 and beyond.

Every February I buy a baseball magazine or two. My primary focus is on Fantasy Baseball prep, but I can never resist picking up Athlon Sports magazine for its more general baseball season preview. Though they picked the Bucs to finish sixth this year, they did toss their name in when discussing who could be this year's surprise team, like Tampa was last year and Colorado and Detroit were the previous two years. Perhaps they wanted to pick the least likely team, you know, for shock value. Anyway, even after mentioning Pittsburgh they immediately recanted and said "Maybe in 2011." See that? Only two more years until the Pirates might be the team no one suspects will be good and that actually turns out to be good. Take that, haters.

Which Team is the Local Team, Part 2: I am determined to figure out the local team, or at least most commonly liked team, here in Bloomington. I plan to do this without asking anyone though. So anyway, I was at a store at the mall yesterday (though I won't say which one) and I noticed clothing for the following four MLB teams: Cubs, White Sox, Reds, Cardinals. We live pretty much in the center of those three cities, so perhaps the loyalties of the locals are evenly divided, and this particular store wants to appeal to as many customers as possible with their little bear outfits.

Another sign I spotted was the cover of the aforementioned Athlon baseball magazine. While living in the Bay Area, this magazine always featured A's and Giants players on the cover, so I assumed the covers varied based on the different geographical regions. This particular issue, bought here in Bloomington, featured Derrek Lee of the Cubs and Carlos Quentin of the White Sox on the cover. Either that means the locals here root for the Chicago teams, or the makers of Athlon Sports assume they do. This does put the Chicago teams in the lead, followed closely by the Reds. The Cardinals are a distant fourth at this point.

McLouth v. The Pittsburgh Pirates: Nate McLouth's arbitration hearing is scheduled for February 17th, which is but one week away. I'm sure both sides have been trying to come to an agreement, but with each passing day the odds diminish that a contract will be agreed to without the need for the hearing. To compare to Dioner Navarro, catcher for Tampa, and his recently decided case seems a little inapt, but here goes. Navarro just lost his case and he will make $2.1 million this season. He had asked for $2.5 million. Navarro has been in the league for parts of 5 seasons and has spent the last two as Tampa's starting catcher. He also was selected to his very first All-Star game last season. Nate McLouth has been in the league for parts of 4 seasons and has really only been a starter, save a couple of months in '07, for one season, in which he was also an All-Star. McLouth did have a much more impressive season in '08 than Navarro, but Navarro plays at a more difficult position and his team reached the World Series last year. But a panel of arbitrators did not feel that Navarro was worth two and a half million dollars. Well, McLouth has asked for $3.8 million, with the team countering at $2.75 million. Once again, I do realize that McLouth's statistics far exceed those of Navarro, but Navarro's experience, position and team success make me think McLouth's asking price is a bit high for the arbitrators. Hopefully the Pirates and McLouth will settle. If they do not, I would expect the decision to favor Pittsburgh.

The Race for Fifth Place Heats Up

2009-02-07T22:03:00.000-05:00

Not to be outdone by the Pirate's off-season acquisitions of Eric Hinske and Craig Monroe, the Cincinnati Reds have signed outfielder Jacques Jones and pinch-hitter extraordinaire (and former Buc) Daryle Ward to minor league contracts. Jones and Monroe could amount to a wash; both were once promising outfielders whose careers have taken a decided nosedive in recent years. And both were signed to minor league deals so there is a good chance that neither will make their respective club's rosters by the end of Spring Training. The Hinske/Ward showdown, however, does favor the Pirates. Hinske can play multiple positions and he's a pretty good hitter (as long as the pitchers he faces throw with their right hand). Ward is not more than a pinch hitter at this point, and based on his horrid .143 average last season as a pinch hitter, he's not much of that either. He can play first base, though he moves with the grace of a rhinoceros. With Joey Votto set as the Reds' first baseman, in order to keep Ward, Dusty Baker would have to use up a roster spot for someone who can only pinch hit.

Though the Pirates have done very little this off-season (aside from Hinske, the only other free agent they have signed to a major league deal is utility infielder Ramon Vasquez), the Reds have done nothing to pull further ahead. The acquisition of catcher Ramon Hernandez could help, though he is a bit past his prime. And they essentially replaced reliever Jeremy Affeldt for old-timer Arthur Rhodes. That is certainly a downgrade. The Pirates, on the other hand, have upgraded their backup infielder spot and possibly broken even on another bench spot (I'm okay with Hinske's power over Mientkiewicz's intangibles). The Reds do have a few very good young hitters and a couple of good starting pitchers, but I might have to favor the Pirates this off-season. They didn't do much, but maybe just enough to reclaim the coveted 5th Place in the National League Central crown from the hated Reds. Only 61 days until their first meeting. And then it's on.

The Calm After the Storm

2009-02-04T18:19:00.000-05:00

It's been a very quiet week, in terms of Pirate news. After the flurry of activity last week (two signings), the lack of action this week feels eerily calm. Perhaps we were spoiled with actual news, and this week is like a typical off-season week for the Pirates. I almost don't know what to do with myself though.

Speaking of last week, one of the local papers (I can't remember if it was the Bloomington Times-Herald or the Indianapolis Star) printed, in their MLB news and notes, the Paul Maholm signing ahead of the Red Sox re-signing of Jason Varitek. This pleased me, a little too much maybe. Clearly the Red Sox are the bigger team, nationally. And Varitek is certainly a bigger name than Maholm. So either the Sox are hated in Indiana or there's a little love here for the Pirates. Or maybe they were printed alphabetically. Or I guess the Maholm piece might have came in first. Anyway, it was nice to see the Bucs get a more prominent spot in the news than usual.

We're thinking about taking a mini vacation to Cincinnati the second weekend of April. And yes, the Pirates do play the Reds there that weekend. Luckily, my wife does like baseball too, and she does have at least some interest in seeing different ballparks. I would like to visit each major league park at least once in my life. I've only been to 5 so far, and two of them are no longer hosts to their local teams. There are about seven parks within a day's drive from here. Hopefully I can cross those 7 off my list in the next few years. That's my goal at least.

Maholm, Hinske Contract Details

2009-01-30T16:26:00.000-05:00

ESPN.com reported the specifics of the new contracts for starter Paul Maholm and new utility player Eric Hinske. Maholm received a three year deal worth $14.5 million. That total includes salaries for 2009 ($3.5 Mil), 2010 ($4.5 Mil), 2011 ($5.75 Mil) and the potential buyout ($750,000) for the team option year of 2012. If that option is exercised, Maholm's salary for 2012 would be $9.75 million (or potentially up to $11.05 million based on his performance in the prior three years). The three guaranteed salaries are very reasonable based on Maholm's career thus far. If he continues to pitch as he has the past two seasons, this deal should work out quite well for Pittsburgh.

Hinske signed a one year deal. His base salary will be $1.5 million with the chance to earn up to a total of $2.5 million based on performance bonuses. That deal is more than reasonable for a solid, versatile veteran who can provide a little power off the bench.

Outfielder Nate McLouth is the only arbitration-eligible Pirate that remains unsigned. His hearing is scheduled for February 17. Plenty of time to get a deal done.

First Maholm, Now Hinske; Today is Officially the Most Exciting Day of this Off-Season for the Pirates!

2009-01-29T19:03:00.001-05:00

That's right. Eric Hinske is a Pirate now. He agreed to a one year deal worth about $1.5 million, plus incentives. This moves adds a solid hitter to the Bucs' roster. He can spell the LaRoche brothers at first and third, respectively. Adam tends to start slowly, of course, and Andy might only hit well in Las Vegas. Hinske can also play some outfield, relieving a little pressure from Nyjer Morgan, Brandon Moss and Steve Pearce. I don't expect Hinske to block one of those three if they're performing well, but in case they are not, we have a viable alternative. This is a good move for the team, though it certainly means Doug Mientkiewicz will not be back. Doug was great, but Hinske is not exactly a drop-off. What he lacks in craziness/passion he makes up for in versatility and power.

I'm still hoping the Pirates do acquire another starter pitcher. Preferably Braden Looper. I think he could be had for under $5 million, which might be a fair deal. I know the team is nearing its self-imposed salary cap, but this would be worth the investment.

Maholm Inks Three Year Deal

2009-01-29T11:10:00.002-05:00

The Pirates have signed starting pitcher Paul Maholm to a three-year contract, reported the PBC Blog. Financial terms are not yet available, but the deal does contain a club option for a fourth year. The contract covers all three arbitration-eligible years for Maholm and his first year of free agency, provided the option is exercised. The Pirates now have starters Maholm and Ian Snell, closer Matt Capps, second baseman Freddy Sanchez and catcher Ryan Doumit signed through at least 2010. Other potentially key players such as Tom Gorzelanny and Nate McLouth will not be eligible for free agency until after 2011 at the earliest. Adam LaRoche and Jack Wilson can be free agents after this coming season, and if either make it through this year while still members of the Pirates, they most certainly will not be retained.

So now we're kind of getting a better idea how the team will look in 2010, 2011 and 2012, which is when, if things go as hoped, we will see the likes of Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez in Pittsburgh. Since we're on the subject, let's take a look at a potential starting lineup for the 2011 Pirates: McCutchen CF, Sanchez 2B, McLouth LF, Doumit C, Alvarez 3B, Tabata RF, Neil Walker/Andy LaRoche/Steve Pearce 1B, Jordy Mercer/Brian Bixler?? SS. Okay, so that's not a bad looking lineup, at least based on what we all kind of expect from the few youngsters who have not yet made it to the majors. So clearly predicting who will play first base in two years is a bit of a crap shoot. It could even be Alvarez, with Walker at third. Shortstop is a tough one too. Maybe Mercer or Chase D'Arnaud will end up being viable. I doubt Bixler will be. Of course this is two years off and many things will change. One other change that could take place is second base. If the Pirates do not have significant improvement this year and next, keeping Sanchez and his contract might not seem too prudent to management, even if there are not any obvious replacements for him. I'm a huge Freddy Sanchez fan (and I'm not just saying that because I invested $100 in Freddy Sanchez apparel) and I would love to see him stick around, but realistically, it's doubtful.

Well, I'm not quite sure how a piece on Maholm's new contract turned into a preview of the 2011 starting lineup. Anyway, congratulations to Paul Maholm and I wish him continued success in 2009 and beyond.

Is Hinske About to Sign?

2009-01-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

There are reports (c/o the Post-Gazette) that IF/OF Eric Hinske is in contract negotiations with the Pirates. Hinske played for Tampa last year and won the Rookie of the Year award with Toronto in 2002. He's versatile and has some power, so this could be an interesting acquisition, if it goes through. If Hinske signs, it would almost certainly mean that Luis Gonzalez and Doug Mientkiewicz are out of the picture. I'll keep you posted.

Pirates talk to Luis Gonzalez (says the Post-Gazette)

2009-01-27T18:41:00.000-05:00

Luis Gonzalez is looking for a new team. Ideally, a team with a bench/part-time opening. Preferably with younger players. Really? The Pirates have those things. And Gonzalez does not want much money either. The Pirates have that too! Okay, let's all settle down and remember that the year is NOT 2002. Gonzalez is no longer a star. Physically, he probably could not play close to every day. And even with Gonzalez, and potentially Pedro Martinez, the Pirates will not reach the playoffs this year. So, what does this accomplish? They use (potentially, again) 2 roster spots for aging, past-their-prime veterans that could have gone to 2 younger players. Come 2010, those 2 younger players will not have that extra bit of big league experience that might come in handy. Perhaps this makes the 2010 team a little worse than it could have been. Then again, maybe having two veterans of such caliber would help the team mature. I really don't know. Doug Mientkiewicz was supposedly a very valuable player on the Pirate's roster in 2008. Everyone likes him. Everyone respects him. I'm sure some, if not all, players learned from him. Does this show in the standings? Will it show? I really don't know. As exciting as it would be to add a couple of aging superstars to the team, these moves, if they happen, could be a detriment. I would much rather see Braden Looper signed to be a starter. At least with Looper, there is a realistic chance that he could be retained beyond this coming season. I'm not sure I'd even want to see Martinez or Gonzalez, at this point in their careers, for one season.

PirateFest, Adjusting to Indiana and more...

2009-01-25T16:49:00.000-05:00

Pirates Fest is taking place in Pittsburgh this weekend. I am not there. I've never been one to get especially excited about these sort of events. It's just basically a convention and 99% of the people there are Pirate fans like me. Since I've lived most of my life in California, I have not spent a lot of time around other Pirate fans. I kind of feel like I wouldn't like them. It's kind of like what Woody Allen's character Alvy Singer said in Annie Hall: "I would never want to belong to a club that would have someone like me as a member." Also, I'm not sure how I would react to seeing my Pirate "heroes" in person. I've never been one to obsess over celebrities too much, or go out of my way to follow them. I'm certainly no celebrity stalker. (Okay, so one time my wife and I were walking behind Teri Hatcher for a while, but I promise, we just happened to be walking in the same direction. That's all.) And what would I say to Nate McClouth if I ended up standing by him? 'Golly, sir. You sure are good at the baseball.' I would either say something trite or something stupid. And it's not like I really have anything to say to him anyway. Right now, under no social pressure, all I would want to say is 'Nice season last year. I'm glad you're a Pirate.' That's it. I have no insight to offer and I'm certainly not qualified to offer any suggestions. So anyway, my point is, even though I have had no desire to attend these sort of events before, I kind of feel like I'm missing out this year. Maybe it's because I'm only 400 miles away this year instead of the usual 2400. A day's drive might be worth it next year. Also, the Cincinnati Red's caravan came through town a couple days ago. I missed that one too. I didn't even know about it until I read the paper the next day. I am no Reds fan by any means, and I don't even think Dusty Baker is a very good manager, but I absolutely would have gone to that. Absolutely.

Before we moved here from California, I wondered what the pro baseball team of the area would be. Is there even a primary team that this area lays claim to? Since the Red's caravan came through, and Cincinnati is only 2 or 3 hours away, it could be them. Chicago is only 4 hours away, so there are two more choices there. Within a day's drive, we also have Milwaukee, St. Louis, Cleveland and Pittsburgh. And the Pirate's AAA team is in Indianapolis, but they've only been there a few years and I really don't think that's enough time to build up much of a minor league fan base. So I really don't know. I haven't done any research either. I'm waiting for the answer to come to me. My guess is a Cubs/Reds split. But for television purposes, is there a home team? I know there'll be Cubs and White Sox games on WGN, and I assume the MLB network will televise some games, but will there be a local network that carries a particular team? If so, I'm hoping for the Reds. Once again, I don't like them, but it will present more opportunities to watch the Pirates.

In actual Pirates news, it appears that Braden Looper has popped up on the Pirate's radar. I mentioned previously how I would like the Bucs to acquire someone in the Jon Garland mold, a solid experienced starter who might come on the cheap for a one-year deal. Looper fits. Pedro Martinez has also been mentioned, but there would be more injury concern there. If he's healthy though, Pedro would be great. But adding an experienced started in general is a very good idea, especially with Jeff Karstens hurting a bit. Let's say Looper is signed, the rotation consists of Looper, Maholm, Snell, Gorzelanny and Ohlendorf, that will leave Karstens, Duke, other McCutchen, Dumatrait and Barthmaier as viable options should an injury occur. This sort of depth is crucial and seriously absent from last year.

Andrew McCutchen cracks ESPN.com's Top 20 Prospects

2009-01-22T17:21:00.000-05:00

Today, ESPN.com released their second annual list of the top 100 MLB prospects, though only the top 25 are available for free (I believe a subscription to ESPN Insider and ESPN the magazine are required for the complete list and I don't plan to fall for their scheme). The Pirate's own Andrew McCutchen came in at number 18. Not bad. They said he has been rushed through the Pirate's system, primarily in the Littlefield era. That may be the case, but it certainly doesn't feel like it. I guess when there are only so many halfway decent prospects in your team's system, the few good ones get so much of the attention that it seems like they've been around forever. But barring injury or some ridiculous backslide, McCutchen will certainly be on the major league team at some point this year. He might not make the team out of spring training, but at the absolute latest, we will see him in September.

ESPN was kind enough to list the top 5 Pirate's prospects for us. They did not provide where they ranked (or if they ranked) among the top 100, but here they are: 1. McCutchen, 2. Jose Tabata, 3. Pedro Alvarez, 4. Bryan Morris, 5. Brad Lincoln. In case you were wondering, 3 of the 5 were acquired by Neal Huntington last summer (2 in trades, 1 drafted). I know there wasn't much in the minor league system to start with, but I like that ratio.

Since I'm already subtly criticizing former GM Dave Littlefield, it might interest you to know who ESPN chose as their #1 prospect. That would, of course, be Matt Wieters, future star catcher for the Baltimore Orioles. Wieters is the can't-miss superstar-in-the-making that Littlefield chose not to draft in 2007. This decision probably factored in to his firing a few months after. The player he did select, Daniel Moskos, did not make the top 25, nor the Pirate's own top 5, and I'm assuming not any top anything list. Moskos might make it to the big leagues someday. It could happen. But he was certainly not worthy of a top draft pick.

We Will Never Learn Uber Alas

2009-01-22T17:12:00.000-05:00

I was messing around with the blog layout options and decided to make a change. I found a layout I liked and then I reset all the colors and fonts and everything. It ended up looking a bit like the German flag. Though I am part German, this was a coincidence. Anyway, putting that aside, I would welcome any feedback from my reader(s) on the new look. Layout, design, colors, whatever. Even though the Pirates are ditching the red alternate uniforms, historically speaking, red is one of their colors so I would like to keep that around. Thanks.

4 Pirates Avoid Arbitration

2009-01-20T15:38:00.001-05:00

Before today's noon Eastern deadline, Adam LaRoche, Zach Duke, Tyler Yates and John Grabow signed one-years deals, avoiding possible salary arbitration hearings. All of their new salaries (yup, even LaRoche's 7 Mil) are in line with what would be expected based on their experience and positions. This just leaves Nate McLouth and Paul Maholm as the only two arbitration-eligible players who have yet to ink new contracts. There have been reports that the Pirates and McLouth have been unable to work out the details of a possible multi-year deal, so I would expect their salary figures to differ by a bit. Maholm, on the other hand, has also been working on a multi-year with the team and there has not been any indication that the two sides are having issues. I would still expect both players to sign new deals before their cases reach arbitration. What does all this mean for the Pirate fans? Not a lot. There is no chance either player will be traded or released before the season and they are both certain to be starters when the season begins. The last time a Pirate player's case went to arbitration (if I'm not mistaken) was Jack Wilson in 2004. He won his case and responded with the best season of his career. So, we'll see.

Update (6:34pm): The Post Gazette reported the arbitration figures for McLouth and Maholm. McLouth asked for 3.8 Mil and the team offered 2.75 Mil. Maholm asked for 3.8 and the team offered 2.65. Not a huge difference really. McLouth's people are probably focusing on his '08 season and the Pirates are looking at his entire career thus far. He'll probably end up with a deal for around 3 and a quarter. Maholm's people also are focusing on last year, but since he has been in the starting rotation for over 3 years, his request seems a little more reasonable. I could see him signing for about 3.25 as well, with a multi-year deal possibly following that.

For a little perspective, the Phillies have Ryan Howard eligible for arbitration. He has asked for 18 million. 18 Million. Let it sink in. His team offered 14 million. The Phillies won't have much leverage if that one should go before the arbitrators; Howard has won Rookie of the Year, MVP and a World Series title in his 4 years. If they settle, it will be for very close to what Howard wants.